How to Get an ESA Letter in West Virginia (2026): Clinician-Reviewed Step-by-Step from Intake to PDF

Key Takeaways

• A valid ESA letter in West Virginia must be issued by a licensed mental health professional (LMHP) who holds an active West Virginia license — or a license recognized in the state where they practice with you as the client.
• The letter is the only legally recognized documentation for ESA housing accommodations. Online registries, ID cards, and certificates carry no legal weight under HUD guidance.
• Under the Fair Housing Act and HUD's FHEO-2020-01 notice, most West Virginia landlords — including those with "no-pet" policies — are required to consider a reasonable accommodation request supported by a compliant ESA letter.
• West Virginia does not currently impose a state-specific mandatory 30-day therapeutic relationship requirement the way states such as California (AB-468) or Montana (HB-703) do, but legitimate clinicians still conduct a thorough, individualized evaluation before issuing any letter.
• ESA letters no longer grant air-travel rights. The U.S. Department of Transportation removed ESAs from Air Carrier Access Act protections in January 2021. Airlines treat ESAs as regular pets.
• Expect a clinician-reviewed process — not an automated questionnaire — from any reputable provider.

What Is an ESA Letter — and Why Does West Virginia Housing Law Care?

An emotional support animal (ESA) letter is a formal clinical document, prepared and signed by a licensed mental health professional, that affirms two things: first, that the individual named in the letter has a diagnosable mental or emotional impairment recognized under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM); and second, that the presence of a specific animal — or animals of a specific type — provides therapeutic benefit that meaningfully mitigates one or more symptoms of that impairment. It is not a prescription in the pharmaceutical sense, but it occupies a functionally equivalent legal role when a West Virginia resident seeks a housing accommodation.

The federal authority governing ESA housing accommodations is HUD's FHEO-2020-01 notice, formally titled Assessing a Person's Request to Have an Animal as a Reasonable Accommodation Under the Fair Housing Act, issued April 25, 2020. This guidance instructs housing providers — including landlords, property managers, condominium associations, and cooperative housing boards — on how to evaluate accommodation requests from individuals with disabilities who seek to keep an assistance animal. Under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(B)), a housing provider must grant a reasonable accommodation when it is necessary to afford a person with a disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy their dwelling.

West Virginia's own fair housing statute, the West Virginia Human Rights Act (W. Va. Code § 5-11A-1 et seq.), mirrors and in some respects reinforces federal protections, covering housing providers across the state. When a West Virginia resident presents a properly constructed ESA letter from a licensed clinician, that document activates both layers of protection simultaneously — federal FHA rights and state human rights law — giving it considerably more legal weight than many tenants initially realize.

Understanding what the letter is — and what it is not — matters enormously in West Virginia's current housing market, where "no-pets" lease clauses are common, particularly in the Mountain State's smaller cities and rural rental communities. A well-crafted, clinician-issued ESA letter does not permit unlimited or unconditional animal keeping; it is a request for a specific reasonable accommodation that a landlord must evaluate in good faith. But when evaluated properly, it is a powerful tool that can mean the difference between a tenant being able to live with the animal that supports their mental wellness and being forced to choose between their housing and their health.

ESA vs. Service Animal: An Important Distinction

Before proceeding, it is worth clarifying a distinction that generates persistent confusion. A service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a dog (or in limited circumstances a miniature horse) trained to perform specific disability-related tasks — guiding a person who is blind, alerting a person who is deaf, interrupting a self-harm behavior. Service animals have broad public-access rights under the ADA. An emotional support animal, by contrast, provides therapeutic benefit through companionship and presence; it is not task-trained and does not carry ADA public-access rights. The ESA letter is the mechanism for asserting housing rights specifically, not rights in restaurants, retail stores, or aircraft cabins.

A Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) occupies a middle category: task-trained for a psychiatric disability, carrying full ADA public-access rights. If your needs extend beyond housing — particularly if you require an animal companion in public spaces — speak with your licensed clinician about whether PSD training and documentation may be more appropriate for your situation.

Who May Qualify for an ESA Letter in West Virginia?

Qualification for an ESA letter is a clinical determination, not an administrative checklist. A West Virginia-licensed mental health professional will assess whether the individual seeking a letter has a condition that rises to the level of a disability under federal fair housing law — meaning a mental or emotional impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities — and whether the therapeutic relationship between that individual and their animal meaningfully addresses that impairment.

Many people find that an ESA may be therapeutically appropriate in the context of conditions such as:

• Generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder
• Major depressive disorder or persistent depressive disorder
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which remains a significant concern in West Virginia given the state's veteran population and history of occupational trauma in mining and industrial communities
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) where symptoms substantially limit daily functioning
• Bipolar disorder and related mood conditions
• Agoraphobia and other specific phobias that limit ability to maintain housing or engage in daily life
• Autism spectrum disorder where an animal companion meaningfully supports emotional regulation
• Substance use disorders in recovery, in some clinical contexts

This list is illustrative, not exhaustive, and it is emphatically not a self-diagnosis tool. A licensed clinician will determine, through an individualized evaluation, whether your specific circumstances and your specific relationship with your animal support the issuance of an ESA letter. No reputable provider should guarantee issuance before that evaluation has occurred.

Do You Already Have a Therapist or Psychiatrist in West Virginia?

If you are already engaged in an established therapeutic relationship with a licensed mental health professional in West Virginia — a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed professional counselor (LPC), licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), psychologist, or psychiatrist — that clinician is often the most appropriate person to evaluate your ESA letter request, because they already possess detailed, longitudinal knowledge of your condition and treatment history. You may simply need to raise the topic at your next session.

If you do not currently have a treating clinician, or if your existing provider does not offer ESA letter evaluations, a telehealth-based ESA letter service staffed by West Virginia-licensed clinicians can provide the evaluation. The key qualification is the clinician's licensure — they must hold an active license in the appropriate jurisdiction to issue a valid letter.

What About Your Pet? Does the Animal Need to Be Certified?

No. There is no national ESA certification, no ESA registry, and no required training program for emotional support animals. HUD has explicitly confirmed that online ESA registries and certificates are not legally meaningful documents. Your animal — whether a dog, cat, rabbit, bird, or another species — does not need to pass any test, wear a vest, or appear on any database. The ESA letter, issued by a licensed clinician, is the sole document that carries legal weight in a housing accommodation request.

Step-by-Step: From Intake Form to PDF Letter

The process of obtaining a legitimate ESA letter in West Virginia follows a clear, clinician-led sequence. Understanding each stage helps you approach it with appropriate expectations and prepares you to engage authentically with the evaluating professional.

Step 1: Complete the Intake Questionnaire

The process begins with an intake form — a structured health questionnaire that gathers information about your current mental health symptoms, your history of treatment or diagnosis, the nature of your relationship with your animal, and how the animal's presence affects your daily functioning and symptom management. This is not a formality; it is the clinician's first opportunity to understand your situation and determine whether a full evaluation is appropriate.

Be honest and specific in your responses. Vague or minimal answers ("I feel anxious sometimes") are less clinically useful than specific, contextualized descriptions ("I experience panic attacks that prevent me from leaving my apartment two to three times per week; my cat's presence helps me regulate my breathing during these episodes"). Authentic, detailed responses serve your clinical evaluation and the integrity of the process.

Step 2: Match With a West Virginia-Licensed Clinician

Following intake, the platform connects you with a licensed mental health professional holding an active West Virginia license — or the appropriate license for your state of residence. This matching step is where the process fundamentally diverges from the fraudulent "registry" services that generate automated letters without any clinician involvement.

Accepted license types for ESA letter issuance typically include: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), licensed psychologist, and psychiatrist (MD or DO with psychiatric specialization). In some clinical contexts, licensed primary-care providers may also participate, though mental health professionals are the standard for ESA evaluations.

You can learn more about what to expect during this evaluation in our detailed guide: What to Expect During Your West Virginia ESA Telehealth Evaluation.

Step 3: Attend Your Telehealth Evaluation Session

The evaluation itself is a live, synchronous clinical interaction — typically conducted via HIPAA-compliant video telehealth — between you and the licensed clinician. It is a genuine clinical conversation, not a scripted quiz. The clinician will explore your mental health history, your current symptoms and how they affect your functioning, the therapeutic role your animal plays in your daily life, and whether an ESA letter is clinically appropriate for your specific circumstances.

You may be asked questions such as:

• How long have you been experiencing these symptoms, and have they been formally assessed or treated?
• How does your animal's presence affect your symptoms on a day-to-day basis?
• What specific activities or life domains — sleep, leaving the home, social functioning, work — are affected by your condition?
• Are you currently receiving or seeking other forms of treatment?

The session typically runs between 20 and 45 minutes, depending on the complexity of the clinical picture. At the conclusion of the session, the clinician makes an independent professional determination about whether issuance of a letter is therapeutically warranted.

Step 4: Clinician Review and Letter Preparation

If the clinician determines that an ESA letter is appropriate, they will prepare the letter in accordance with legal and clinical standards. A compliant West Virginia ESA letter includes specific elements that distinguish it from fraudulent documents — a topic covered in detail in the section below on legal validity.

If the clinician determines that a letter is not therapeutically appropriate at this time, that determination will be communicated to you with clinical context. Legitimate providers respect this outcome. A service that promises a letter regardless of clinical findings is not providing a real clinical service — it is selling paper.

Step 5: Receive and Review Your PDF Letter

Once prepared and signed by the licensed clinician, your ESA letter is delivered to you as a secure PDF. You will want to review it carefully before presenting it to a housing provider, confirming that it includes all required elements. Store the digital file securely and consider maintaining a printed copy as well.

For information on how quickly letters are typically prepared and delivered after the evaluation, see our guide: ESA Letter Turnaround Time in West Virginia: What to Realistically Expect.

Step 6: Present the Letter to Your West Virginia Housing Provider

Once you have your letter, you present it to your landlord, property manager, or housing association as part of a formal reasonable accommodation request. We cover this process — including tenant rights, landlord response timelines, and what to do if a request is denied — in detail in the housing rights section of this guide.

What Makes a West Virginia ESA Letter Legally Valid Under Federal and State Standards?

The legal validity of a West Virginia ESA letter depends on a specific set of substantive and procedural characteristics. HUD's FHEO-2020-01 notice provides detailed guidance on what housing providers may reasonably look for when evaluating the reliability of documentation accompanying an accommodation request. Understanding these requirements helps you assess the quality of the letter you receive — and helps you recognize fraudulent alternatives before wasting money on them.

For a comprehensive breakdown, see our dedicated resource: What Makes a West Virginia ESA Letter Legally Valid.

Required Elements of a Compliant ESA Letter

What the Letter Should NOT Include

A compliant ESA letter does not disclose your specific diagnosis; the clinician need only confirm that a disability exists under the FHA's broad definition. Disclosing diagnostic specifics is not required — and sharing your specific diagnosis is generally not something you should feel pressured to do. A housing provider who demands a specific diagnosis as a condition of processing your request may be overstepping; consult a West Virginia-licensed attorney or your local legal aid office if this occurs.

The letter also should not reference any ESA registry, certification number, or database entry, because none of these carry legal weight.

A Note on West Virginia's Regulatory Landscape

Unlike California, where Assembly Bill 468 (effective January 1, 2022) mandates a minimum 30-day established therapeutic relationship before any ESA letter may be issued, West Virginia does not currently impose a codified state-level minimum relationship duration. However, the absence of a mandatory waiting period does not mean clinicians skip evaluation rigor. Ethical professional standards — and HUD's guidance encouraging housing providers to look for letters from providers with established knowledge of the client's condition — mean that a clinician who conducts a substantive evaluation, reviews your history, and arrives at a considered clinical judgment will issue a letter that carries far more practical weight than one generated by an algorithm with no clinician review.

To understand how relationship duration and evaluation depth affect the credibility of your letter, see: The 30-Day Therapeutic Relationship Rule: What West Virginia Residents Should Know.

Cost, Turnaround Time, and What to Expect From a Legitimate Provider

What Does an ESA Letter Cost in West Virginia?

The cost of a legitimate, clinician-evaluated ESA letter in West Virginia typically reflects the professional time involved in conducting a clinical evaluation, preparing a legally compliant document, and providing ongoing support for landlord verification inquiries. Pricing at reputable providers generally falls within a range that reflects genuine clinical overhead — meaningfully higher than the $30 to $50 charged by registry scams (which provide no actual clinician evaluation), but considerably more affordable than a comparable private-pay therapy session bundle.

Be appropriately skeptical of providers charging either unusually low fees for "instant" letters or unusually high fees without a transparent explanation of what the evaluation includes. Legitimate cost transparency is a hallmark of a reputable provider. For a detailed breakdown of current pricing expectations, see: How Much Does an ESA Letter Cost in West Virginia?

Turnaround Time: Realistic Expectations

A legitimate ESA letter process cannot be instantaneous, because it requires an actual clinical evaluation. The realistic timeline from completing your intake questionnaire to receiving your signed PDF letter typically spans one to a few business days in most cases — primarily determined by clinician scheduling availability and the time required to prepare and review the letter following the evaluation session.

Providers who advertise "instant" or "same-day guaranteed" letters without describing an actual evaluation process are almost certainly not involving a real clinician in the process. Speed should never be the primary criterion for selecting an ESA letter provider; clinical legitimacy should be.

What Happens If a Landlord Contacts the Clinician?

HUD's FHEO-2020-01 guidance confirms that housing providers may, in some circumstances, seek to verify that the clinician who signed your letter is indeed a licensed professional — typically by checking the clinician's name and license number against the relevant state licensing board's public database. Reputable ESA letter providers ensure that their clinicians' licenses are active, verifiable, and associated with contact information that can be confirmed. This is one of the most important practical reasons to choose a provider that employs genuinely licensed West Virginia clinicians rather than one that generates letters algorithmically.

A housing provider may not, however, require you to disclose the specifics of your diagnosis, demand access to your full treatment records, or require you to undergo an examination by a clinician of the landlord's choosing. If your landlord attempts any of these overreaches, consult a West Virginia-licensed attorney or contact the West Virginia Human Rights Commission.

Your FHA Housing Rights in West Virginia: How to Use Your ESA Letter

Obtaining your ESA letter is the beginning of the process, not the end. Knowing how to present it effectively — and how to respond if your request is mishandled — is equally important.

Which West Virginia Housing Providers Must Comply?

The Fair Housing Act's reasonable accommodation provisions apply broadly. Most rental housing in West Virginia is covered, including:

• Private landlords with four or more units
• Apartment complexes and property management companies
• Condominium associations and homeowners associations with rental provisions
• Student housing operated by private entities
• Federally assisted housing programs (Section 8, public housing authority units)

Notable exemptions include owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units where the owner lives on-site (the so-called "Mrs. Murphy" exemption), and single-family homes sold or rented by the owner without a real estate agent (subject to specific conditions). If you are uncertain whether your specific housing situation is covered, consult a West Virginia-licensed attorney or contact your local legal aid office.

How to Submit Your Reasonable Accommodation Request

Present your ESA letter to your housing provider in writing — email with read receipt or certified mail are both appropriate — accompanied by a brief written request for a reasonable accommodation to keep your emotional support animal. State clearly that the request is made pursuant to the Fair Housing Act and, where applicable, the West Virginia Human Rights Act (W. Va. Code § 5-11A-1 et seq.).

Keep copies of all correspondence. Document dates, names of individuals you speak with, and the content of any verbal conversations in writing immediately afterward. This documentation is invaluable if the request is improperly denied or delayed.

How Long Does a Landlord Have to Respond?

Neither the FHA nor West Virginia statute specifies an exact number of days for a landlord to respond to an accommodation request, but HUD guidance makes clear that a landlord must engage in an interactive process in a timely manner. An unreasonable delay — particularly if it results in the tenant being forced to remove their animal or face eviction — may itself constitute a fair housing violation. If you have not received a substantive response within ten to fourteen business days, consider following up in writing and, if the delay continues, contacting the West Virginia Human Rights Commission or filing a complaint with HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO).

What If Your Landlord Denies the Request?

A landlord may deny an ESA accommodation request only under limited, legally defensible circumstances: for example, if the specific animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be mitigated by reasonable means, or if the accommodation would impose an undue financial and administrative burden on the housing provider. A blanket "no pets" policy alone is not a legally sufficient basis for denial once a proper accommodation request has been made.

If your properly documented request is denied, you have several avenues:

1. File a complaint with the West Virginia Human Rights Commission (W. Va. Code § 5-11A-18)
2. File a complaint with HUD's FHEO within one year of the discriminatory act (42 U.S.C. § 3610)
3. Consult a West Virginia-licensed fair housing attorney about private civil litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 3613
4. Contact a local legal aid organization for low- or no-cost legal assistance

This guide does not constitute legal advice. For any housing dispute, please consult a West Virginia-licensed attorney.

Pet Deposits, Fees, and ESA Animals

A housing provider may not charge a pet deposit or pet fee in connection with an approved ESA accommodation. The animal is not classified as a "pet" under the Fair Housing Act when kept pursuant to a disability accommodation. However, you remain responsible for any actual damage the animal causes to the property — above and beyond normal wear and tear — and the landlord may apply your standard security deposit to such damages at the conclusion of tenancy. This is a nuanced area; if your landlord attempts to charge a pet fee for your ESA, consult a West Virginia-licensed attorney.

Red Flags, Scams, and How to Protect Yourself

The ESA letter market in West Virginia, as in every state, contains a significant number of fraudulent or legally non-compliant providers. These services exploit the genuine need of people with mental health conditions, charge fees ranging from modest to substantial, and deliver documents that carry no legal weight — while potentially exposing the consumer to embarrassment, housing discrimination, and financial loss when a landlord or housing authority declines the invalid documentation.

HUD's FHEO-2020-01 notice specifically flags online ESA registries as a source of unreliable documentation, noting that a housing provider is permitted to question the reliability of a letter from an online service that has no knowledge of the individual beyond what was entered into a website form.

Warning Signs of a Fraudulent ESA Letter Service

• "Guaranteed approval" or "instant letter" — No legitimate clinician guarantees issuance before conducting an evaluation. Guaranteed approval is not a clinical process; it is a sales tactic.
• "ESA registration" or "certified ESA" — There is no national ESA registry. Any service selling ESA registration numbers, certificates, or ID cards with vest packages is selling a product with no legal validity.
• No live clinician interaction — If the process consists entirely of completing a questionnaire online with no subsequent video or phone interaction with a licensed professional, no genuine evaluation has occurred.
• Clinician is not licensed in West Virginia (or the client's state) — Verify the clinician's licensure through the West Virginia Board of Social Work (wvbosw.org), the West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling, the West Virginia Board of Examiners of Psychologists, or the West Virginia Board of Medicine, as applicable.
• No contact information for the signing clinician — A letter that does not include verifiable clinician contact information cannot withstand even basic landlord scrutiny.
• Promises of air-travel rights — Since January 2021, ESAs do not have federal air-travel protections under the Air Carrier Access Act. Any provider claiming otherwise is either uninformed or deliberately misleading.
• Unusually low pricing with no explanation of what's included — A $29 "ESA letter" almost certainly involves no clinical evaluation. Legitimate clinical services have real costs.

How to Verify a Clinician's West Virginia License

Before paying for any ESA letter service, you can and should confirm that the clinician named in any prospective letter holds an active West Virginia license. Each of West Virginia's professional licensing boards maintains a public license verification portal. An LCSW's license can be verified through the WV Board of Social Work; an LPC's license through the WV Board of Examiners in Counseling; a psychologist's through the WV Board of Examiners of Psychologists; and a psychiatrist's through the WV Board of Medicine. Verification takes minutes and is free.

A reputable ESA letter service will not object to you performing this verification. In fact, a service confident in its clinical staff will actively facilitate it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a West Virginia ESA letter online?

Yes — provided the process involves a genuine telehealth evaluation conducted by a clinician who holds an active West Virginia license (or a license in the state where the clinical relationship is established). A West Virginia ESA telehealth evaluation conducted by a licensed professional is legally equivalent to an in-person evaluation for purposes of ESA letter issuance. What is not valid is a process that generates a letter based solely on a self-completed questionnaire with no clinician interaction.

Does West Virginia have a mandatory waiting period before an ESA letter can be issued?

West Virginia does not currently have a state statute mandating a minimum therapeutic relationship duration before an ESA letter may be issued — unlike California (AB-468), Montana (HB-703), or Arkansas, which require a 30-day established relationship. However, a thorough clinical evaluation is still conducted by any ethical clinician, and HUD guidance favors documentation from providers with meaningful knowledge of the client's condition. See our detailed discussion: The 30-Day Therapeutic Relationship Rule: What West Virginia Residents Should Know.

What species of animals can qualify as ESAs in West Virginia?

HUD guidance does not restrict ESAs to dogs and cats; the animal type is evaluated as part of the accommodation request. Common ESA species include dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and guinea pigs. However, housing providers may deny an accommodation for an unusual or exotic animal if the request poses a direct threat or fundamental alteration to the nature of the housing. The clinician's letter should specify the species; whether a specific individual animal must be named depends on the circumstances of the request.

My landlord says my ESA letter needs to be from a doctor, not a therapist. Is that correct?

No. HUD's FHEO-2020-01 guidance defines the relevant professionals broadly to include mental health professionals and health care providers. A letter from a licensed clinical social worker, licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, or licensed psychologist is fully compliant with federal standards. Your landlord may not unilaterally narrow the definition of an acceptable professional to exclude licensed mental health practitioners. If your landlord insists on this position, consult a West Virginia-licensed attorney.

Does my ESA letter cover me in hotels, restaurants, or on airplanes?

No. An ESA letter provides housing accommodation rights under the Fair Housing Act. It does not grant public-access rights under the ADA (which are reserved for trained service animals), and it does not grant air-travel rights. The U.S. Department of Transportation amended its Air Carrier Access Act regulations effective January 2021, removing ESAs from coverage; airlines now treat ESAs as standard pets subject to carrier pet policies and fees. If you need an animal companion in public spaces or on aircraft, speak with a licensed clinician about whether Psychiatric Service Dog training and documentation may be appropriate for your situation.

How often do I need to renew my ESA letter in West Virginia?

There is no federally mandated renewal interval. However, many housing providers consider letters older than 12 months to be stale and may request updated documentation. Additionally, if your clinical circumstances change — you move to a new housing provider, your treatment situation evolves, or significant time has passed since the original evaluation — obtaining a current letter from a licensed clinician ensures your documentation accurately reflects your present clinical picture.

I live in university housing in West Virginia. Does the FHA apply?

It depends on the housing provider. Private off-campus landlords are generally covered by the FHA. University-operated dormitories and residential halls may be governed by a combination of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (which applies to federally funded programs) and the ADA, rather than solely the FHA. The practical outcome is often similar — students with disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodations — but the specific legal framework differs. Consult your university's disability services office and, for disputes, a West Virginia-licensed attorney or your student legal services office.

What is the best ESA letter service in West Virginia?

The best ESA letter service in West Virginia is one that employs clinicians holding active West Virginia licenses, conducts genuine individualized evaluations through live clinician interaction, produces letters containing all legally required elements, and provides verifiable clinician credentials. ESALetter is built on exactly these principles — clinician quality, compliance, and the kind of authentic professional evaluation that withstands landlord scrutiny and, if necessary, HUD review. We do not sell registrations, certifications, or guaranteed approvals; we provide access to licensed clinicians who evaluate each person individually.

Ready to Begin Your West Virginia ESA Evaluation?

If you believe an emotional support animal may be therapeutically appropriate for your situation, the most important next step is connecting with a licensed West Virginia mental health professional for an individualized evaluation. Our clinician team is staffed with professionals holding active West Virginia licenses, prepared to conduct thorough, compassionate evaluations that result in letters built to withstand housing provider scrutiny.

Begin by reviewing what to expect from the evaluation process — What to Expect During Your West Virginia ESA Telehealth Evaluation — and when you are ready, complete your intake form to be matched with a licensed clinician.

Reminder: This article is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, mental health, or legal advice. Please consult a West Virginia-licensed mental health professional regarding whether an ESA letter is appropriate for your individual situation, and consult a West Virginia-licensed attorney for any housing dispute, accommodation denial, or enforcement matter. Contact the West Virginia Human Rights Commission or your local legal aid office for additional guidance on fair housing rights.