Skip to content

Pet Deposits, Pet Rent & ESA Rules by State 2026

State-by-state pet deposit caps, the federal FHA rule that prohibits any fee for assistance animals, and which states have explicit pet-friendly statutes.

The Federal Rule, Same in All 50 States + DC

Pet deposits, pet rent, and pet fees may NEVER be charged for an assistance animal, a category that under the federal Fair Housing Act includes both ADA-defined service animals AND emotional-support animals (ESAs). This is uniform federal law. The only state-by-state variation in this guide is how regular pet deposits are treated when the animal is a true pet, not an assistance animal.

The federal floor every landlord must follow:
  • FHA reasonable accommodation: 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B) and 24 C.F.R. § 100.204, assistance animals are a reasonable accommodation, not pets.
  • HUD FHEO Notice 2020-01 (Jan 28, 2020), the controlling guidance. No pet deposit, no pet rent, no pet fee for assistance animals. Landlords may not require breed/weight restrictions for assistance animals or demand "registration."
  • Two-question test for ESAs: Does the tenant have a disability? Does the tenant have a disability-related need for the animal? Documentation from a healthcare professional with a therapeutic relationship is permitted; medical records and diagnoses are not.
  • Civil penalty: First-offense FHA violation up to $25,597 (24 C.F.R. § 180.671), with substantially higher amounts for repeat offenders.

Pet Rules vs. Assistance-Animal Rules, Don't Confuse Them

Every rule in the table below applies only to pets, animals kept for companionship without a disability-related purpose. The moment a tenant requests reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal, the federal FHA framework applies and overrides any state pet-deposit cap. A landlord who charges a "pet deposit" on a tenant's accepted ESA is exposed to the full $25,597 civil penalty regardless of state law.

State-by-State Pet Deposit Treatment

States fall into three groups: (1) states that expressly authorize a pet deposit on top of the general security-deposit cap; (2) states that fold pet deposits into the general SD cap (most common); and (3) states with no SD cap at all, where the lease controls.

State SD Cap Separate Pet Allowance? Statute
Alaska 2 mo Yes Up to 1 month additional pet deposit explicitly authorized. AS § 34.03.070(a)
Delaware 1 mo Yes Up to 1 month additional pet deposit explicitly authorized; refundable. 25 Del. C. § 5514(b)
Hawaii 1 mo Yes Up to 1 month additional pet deposit explicitly authorized; service and assistance animals exempt. HRS § 521-44(b)
Kansas 1 mo Yes Up to ½ month additional pet deposit explicitly authorized. Kan. Stat. § 58-2550(a)
Nebraska 1 mo Yes Up to ¼ month additional pet deposit explicitly authorized. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1416
North Carolina 1.5 mo Yes Reasonable non-refundable pet fee explicitly authorized. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-51
North Dakota 1 mo Yes Up to 2 months' rent (max $2,500) additional refundable pet deposit explicitly authorized. N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-07.1
Washington 1 mo Yes Non-refundable pet damage deposit limited to 25% of one month's rent. RCW § 59.18.260 / RCW § 59.18.285
Alabama None No Ala. Code § 35-9A-421
Arizona 1.5 mo No A.R.S. § 33-1321
Arkansas None No Ark. Code § 18-16-304
California 1 mo No Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5
Colorado 2 mo No Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-102
Connecticut 2 mo No C.G.S. § 47a-21(b)
District of Columbia 1 mo No D.C. Code § 42-3502.17
Florida None No Fla. Stat. § 83.56
Georgia None No O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50
Idaho None No Idaho Code § 6-303
Illinois None No 765 ILCS 710 / 765 ILCS 715
Indiana None No Ind. Code § 32-31-1-6
Iowa 2 mo No Iowa Code § 562A.12
Kentucky 2 mo No KRS § 383.660
Louisiana None No La. R.S. § 9:3234
Maine 2 mo No 14 M.R.S. § 6032
Maryland 2 mo No Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203
Massachusetts 1 mo No M.G.L. c. 186 § 15B
Michigan 1.5 mo No MCL § 554.602
Minnesota None No Minn. Stat. § 504B.178
Mississippi None No Miss. Code § 89-7-27
Missouri 2 mo No Mo. Rev. Stat. § 535.300
Montana None No Mont. Code § 70-24-422
Nevada 3 mo No NRS § 118A.242
New Hampshire 1 mo No N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540-A:6
New Jersey 1.5 mo No N.J.S.A. § 46:8-21.2
New Mexico 1 mo No NMSA § 47-8-18
New York 1 mo No N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108
Ohio 2 mo No Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.04
Oklahoma None No 41 O.S. § 131
Oregon 2 mo No ORS § 90.302 / ORS § 90.300
Pennsylvania 2 mo No 68 P.S. § 250.511a
Rhode Island 1 mo No R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19
South Carolina None No S.C. Code § 27-40-710
South Dakota None No SDCL § 43-32-6.1
Tennessee None No T.C.A. § 66-28-505
Texas None No Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001
Utah None No Utah Code § 78B-6-802
Vermont None No 9 V.S.A. § 4461
Virginia 2 mo No Va. Code § 55.1-1226
West Virginia 2 mo No W. Va. Code § 55-3A-1
Wisconsin None No Wis. Admin. Code ATCP 134.06
Wyoming None No Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1001

Why Most "Pet Bans" in Leases Are Half-Bans

A blanket "no pets" policy in a lease has two big exceptions even before any state law applies: (1) ADA service animals in any federally subsidized housing, and (2) ESAs as a reasonable accommodation under the FHA in essentially all rental housing. The lease can, however, still set reasonable rules for pets that are not assistance animals, quiet hours, leash requirements, picking up after the animal, breed/weight limits applied uniformly. California (AB 2216, 2024, effective January 1, 2025) is the first state to broadly prohibit blanket pet bans for new leases at housing receiving covered public assistance, signaling where this area of law is headed.

Sources & Methodology

Data compiled from federal regulations and state landlord-tenant statutes cited per row. Last updated October 23, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice. Pet-deposit and assistance-animal questions are highly fact-specific; consult a licensed attorney in your state before refusing any animal.