212,603 residents
New York's third-largest city, in Westchester County.
Get Your ESA Letter in Yonkers Online
Yonkers has quietly overtaken Rochester to become New York's third-largest city. It also has a lot of co-ops, which is the part that catches renters out.
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Your signed letter is emailed within 15 minutes of clinical approval.
From $129
Same pricing statewide, and no charge unless you are approved.
Population figures on this page come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2025, reference date July 1, 2025.
Renting in Yonkers with an assistance animal
Yonkers has around 213,000 residents and, on the latest Census estimates, has moved ahead of Rochester into third place statewide. It sits directly north of the Bronx in Westchester County, and its housing reflects that position: a commuter city with a substantial stock of mid-century co-operative apartment buildings alongside newer waterfront development.
Co-ops are the defining feature
Yonkers has proportionally more co-operative housing than most New York cities its size, particularly in the buildings along the Bronx River corridor and in central Yonkers. If you are renting a co-op unit from a shareholder, there are three parties involved: you, the shareholder who owns the unit, and the board that governs the building.
That means your accommodation request often has to travel. Send it in writing to your landlord, and ask them to confirm it has been placed before the board. Requests here stall far more often because nobody forwarded the paperwork than because anyone objected. A polite written follow-up after a week usually moves things.
Westchester adds another layer
Yonkers falls under the New York State Human Rights Law rather than the NYC Human Rights Law, which surprises people who assume proximity to the Bronx means city rules apply. The state law is still strong and its definition of disability is broader than the federal one, but the NYC Commission on Human Rights has no jurisdiction here. Complaints go to the New York State Division of Human Rights.
Commuters and new buildings
The newer buildings near the Yonkers and Ludlow Metro-North stations were built for Manhattan commuters and are professionally managed, which generally makes the process cleaner. They also tend to have explicit pet policies with fees attached, so raise the accommodation before signing rather than trying to reverse charges later.
Around Yonkers
We serve tenants in Getty Square, the waterfront and Ludlow, Park Hill, Bryn Mawr, Colonial Heights, Crestwood, Dunwoodie and the northwest Yonkers neighbourhoods toward Hastings.
What changed in 2026, and what it means here
In May 2026, HUD rescinded its 2020 assistance animal notice and narrowed federal enforcement to animals individually trained to perform disability-related work. New York felt that less than most states, because the New York State Human Rights Law is separate, still in force, and has a broader disability definition than federal law. In the five boroughs the NYC Human Rights Law adds a further layer. We explain the change in full on our New York ESA laws page, and it is worth reading before you submit anything.
ESA and PSD letter pricing in Yonkers
Pricing is identical in every New York city. You are charged only after a licensed New York clinician approves your letter.
ESA Letter
$129
Housing documentation, up to 2 animals
- Signed by a clinician licensed in New York
- Covers up to 2 emotional support animals
- Drafted for managing agents and co-op boards
- Digital PDF, emailed 15 minutes after approval
- Unlimited free re-issues if a board wants changes
ESA Letter, 3+ Pets
$199
Housing documentation, 3 or more animals
- Signed by a clinician licensed in New York
- Covers 3 or more emotional support animals
- Every animal named separately, as boards require
- Digital PDF, emailed 15 minutes after approval
- Unlimited free re-issues if a board wants changes
PSD Letter
$149
Task-trained dog documentation, up to 2 dogs
- Records a psychiatric disability and the dog's trained tasks
- Covers up to 2 dogs
- Meets HUD's post-2026 training standard
- Digital PDF, emailed 15 minutes after approval
- A frank conversation about which tasks count
PSD Letter, up to 3 Dogs
$229
Task-trained dog documentation, up to 3 dogs
- Records a psychiatric disability and each dog's trained tasks
- Covers up to 3 dogs
- Meets HUD's post-2026 training standard
- Digital PDF, emailed 15 minutes after approval
- A frank conversation about which tasks count
A single fee, billed once. Your card is held at booking and charged only when a New York-licensed clinician signs. A decline releases the hold.
Yonkers ESA letter questions
Does the NYC Human Rights Law apply in Yonkers?
No. Yonkers is in Westchester County, not one of the five boroughs, so the NYC Human Rights Law and the NYC Commission on Human Rights do not have jurisdiction. The New York State Human Rights Law applies, enforced by the State Division of Human Rights.
I rent a co-op unit from the owner. Who decides on my request?
Usually the board, via the managing agent. Send your request in writing to your landlord and ask them to confirm it has reached the board. Most delays here are paperwork sitting with the wrong party.
My building charges pet rent. Does that apply to my ESA?
No. An approved assistance animal is not a pet, so pet rent, pet deposits and breed fees do not apply to it. Raise the accommodation before signing so the lease is drawn correctly from the start.
How long should a board take to decide?
New York does not set a fixed number of days, but a housing provider must respond within a reasonable time, and unexplained delay can amount to a denial. Ask when the board next meets and request a written decision after that meeting.
Official sources for this page
Nothing legal on this page is asserted without a source behind it. Open them and read the originals rather than taking our summary on trust.
- City of YonkersOfficial city government site, including housing and community services.
- Westchester CountyCounty government, including human rights and animal licensing information.
- New York State Division of Human RightsWhere to file a housing discrimination complaint under the New York State Human Rights Law.
- New York Civil Rights Law § 47-bPublic access rights for guide, hearing and service dogs. Emotional support animals are not covered by this article.
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentFair Housing Act enforcement and the May 2026 assistance animal memorandum.
- New York State Homes and Community RenewalState housing agency, including rent regulation and tenant protection guidance.
- ADA.gov — Service AnimalsThe federal definition of a service animal and the two questions a business may ask.
Elsewhere in New York we serve
Book your Yonkers consultation
Same-day appointments are usually available, seven days a week. If the clinician does not approve you, there is no charge.