A trend is emerging in fair housing complaint data: renters with emotional support animals are increasingly targeting third-party pet screening platforms — and the landlords who require their use — with formal HUD complaints. The complaints share a common thread: ESA owners were required to pay fees to platforms like PetScreening.com as a condition of accommodation.
The PetScreening Business Model
PetScreening operates by charging landlords a subscription and pet-owning applicants a per-pet application fee (typically $15-$25). The platform has raised over $84.7 million in venture capital and counts thousands of property management companies as clients. Integration into popular property management software means many tenants encounter it automatically — often without realizing they can push back.
The Legal Problem
The Fair Housing Act is explicit: landlords cannot charge fees related to processing a reasonable accommodation request for a disability. When a landlord routes an ESA accommodation through a paid third-party platform, they create a fee barrier that HUD has said may violate this prohibition.
Tenants who have filed complaints typically describe the same pattern: they provide ESA documentation, get redirected to PetScreening, pay $15-$25 under pressure, and later discover they had the right to refuse.
Complaint Outcomes
HUD's formal complaint process typically results in voluntary conciliation (a settlement), a finding of no cause, or a charge of discrimination. For fee-related violations, conciliation agreements commonly include: refund of fees paid, written policy change by the landlord, and sometimes additional compensation. Many tenants resolve complaints simply by sending a formal demand letter — landlords often refund fees rather than face HUD investigation.
How to File
Filing a HUD complaint is free and takes approximately 30 minutes. Visit HUD's online portal. There is a one-year statute of limitations — don't delay.