Landlord letter
Ask your landlord for a pet, in writing
A clear, specific letter does more with a landlord than any certificate. We write it from your answers, for the province the rental is in, and put a one-page resume for your pet behind it. $35 USD once, or $55 USD with the certificate and card.
What you get
A letter, a resume, and text you can change
- The letter to your landlord, written from your answers and for the province the rental is in. It works whether you already live there or are applying.
- A one-page pet resume: your pet’s details, care records and what you undertake, in one place for the file.
- The letter as plain text in the email, so you can change any word before you send it.
- If you want them too, the certificate and the register card, the same ones sold on their own for $35: both together are $55.
The letter and the resume arrive as two PDFs by email, four with the certificate and card, with the letter’s text in the email as well so you can edit it. A letter on its own puts nothing on the register. You see every word of the letter before you pay.
A sample
The letter, as it arrives
September 1, 2026
Harbourline Property Management
Dear Harbourline Property Management,
Request to keep a pet at Unit 304, 1850 Commercial Drive, Vancouver BC V5N 4A5
The request
I am writing to ask for your agreement to keep Juniper, my border collie cross, at Unit 304, 1850 Commercial Drive, Vancouver BC V5N 4A5.
About Juniper
Juniper is a 5-year-old border collie cross, and has lived with me since 2022.
She is quiet indoors and settles in her crate when I am out.
She is walked twice a day, and a dog walker comes at midday when I work late.
Care and records
Juniper is up to date on vaccinations, spayed, microchipped and licensed with the city. I can send the records from our veterinarian whenever you would like them.
What I undertake
If you agree, I undertake to put right any damage Juniper causes beyond normal wear and tear; to keep Juniper leashed or carried in hallways, elevators and other shared areas; and to keep tenant insurance that includes liability cover.
I am happy to pay a pet damage deposit, up to the half of one month’s rent that the Residential Tenancy Act allows.
References
My previous landlord, D. Morgan, is happy to be contacted at 604-555-0142.
I have attached a one-page resume for Juniper, with the details above in one place.
The reply
I would be grateful for your answer in writing within two weeks of receiving this letter, so that we both have a record of what was agreed. Thank you for considering it.
Yours sincerely,
S. Lee
A fictional renter in British Columbia with a dog. The small labels explain what each paragraph is for and are not printed on yours. Anything you leave blank, such as a reference, is left out rather than padded.
By province
What changes where you rent
Tenancy law is provincial, and the letter follows it. Only what is set out below changes; the rest is the same everywhere.
- British Columbia
- If you tick it, the letter offers a pet damage deposit of up to half a month’s rent, the most the Residential Tenancy Act allows. Only one is allowed per tenancy.
- Alberta
- If you are applying and tick it, the letter offers a refundable pet deposit that, with the security deposit, stays within the one month’s rent the Residential Tenancies Act allows. It is not offered to a sitting tenant, because a landlord cannot require a sitting tenant to increase the security deposit (section 43(2)).
- Manitoba
- If you tick it, the letter offers a pet damage deposit of up to one month’s rent, the limit in The Residential Tenancies Act. Only one is allowed per tenancy.
- Ontario
- No deposit is offered, because the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 does not allow pet deposits (sections 105 and 106). If you already rent, your lease says no pets, the unit is not in a condo and the Act covers your home (it does not cover, for example, a room where you share a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, a co-op or a student residence), the letter notes near the end that section 14 makes that clause void, and asks anyway.
- Nova Scotia
- No deposit is offered. The Residential Tenancies Act allows no separate pet deposit.
- Everywhere else we sell
- No deposit is offered.
In a condo or strata building, the letter undertakes to follow the building’s rules on animals and offers to give the corporation anything it needs. Where you already rent, it asks for a written answer within two weeks. That is a courtesy, so you both have a record; it is not a legal deadline. The province lines follow where the rental is, not where you live now. We do not sell in Quebec, or write letters for rentals there, for now.
What it does not do
A good letter, and nothing more
- No landlord is obliged to say yes. The letter asks well; it does not make anyone agree.
- It is not legal advice. It is a template completed with your details, and we are not a law firm.
- In a condo or strata building, the building’s rules on animals still apply to you as a tenant, whatever your landlord says.
- If your animal meets a disability-related need, that is an accommodation request under your province’s human rights law, and it needs evidence from your own health professional. This letter is not that request, and our certificate is not that evidence.
The free way
The template is the same kind of letter, and it is free
Our pet request letter template is the same kind of letter, with notes on what each paragraph is for and which lines to keep in your province. If you are happy to fill in the gaps yourself, use it and keep your money. What you pay for here is the filling in and the pet resume, and, if you want them, the certificate and card.
If you would like it written for you
One payment, delivered by email. With the certificate and card, $55 for both. Prices are in US dollars. Any sales tax is calculated by Creem and shown at checkout before you pay.
Not a legal document. Canada ESA Register is a private service, not a government body, and no official register of emotional support animals exists in Canada. It does not give you a legal right to keep a pet, to housing, or to access with your animal.
Questions
Does my landlord have to say yes?
No. Outside Ontario, a landlord can usually refuse pets, and the lease decides. In Ontario a no-pets clause in the lease is void for most rentals once you are a tenant, but a landlord can still turn down an application. What the letter does is give a landlord specific reasons to agree, in a form they can file.
Can I change the wording?
Yes, and you should read it before you send it. The letter text comes in the email as well as the PDF, so you can change anything that does not sound like you.
I have not moved in yet. Does it still work?
Yes. Tell us you are applying, and the letter is written as part of your application: it introduces your pet from the start and asks the landlord to consider you with them included.
Can I buy the letter without the certificate?
Yes. The letter and the pet resume on their own are $35, and nothing goes on the register. With the certificate and card they are $55 together, $15 less than buying both separately. And the free template is the same kind of letter.