In Indiana, an apartment management company near Purdue’s college campus is accused of violating disability laws by demanding that a disabled tenant pay extra to keep a Service Animal in the rental home.

The Indiana Civil Rights Commission announced there is likely probable cause to believe that the landlord violated the state’s Fair Housing Act when it issued an eviction notice to a disabled tenant who refused to pay a “pet fee” for the resident’s service animal.

Allegedly, the resident presented a doctor’s note to management last year, requesting an accommodation to keep the service animal dog at the apartment, despite the building’s no-pet policy.

But management denied the request, stating, “If he needs to keep the dog, then he should have to pay for it,” later issuing a notice of eviction when the additional “pet fee” remained unpaid.

“The Fair Housing Act prevents property owners from denying the use of a service animal and\or charging an additional or ‘pet’ fee. It’s important to note that a service animal is not a ‘pet,'” ICRC Deputy Director Akia Haynes stated in a news release. “It is clear that the complainant is afforded protection by virtue of his disability. Further, the respondent was aware of the complainant’s disability and denied his request for a reasonable accommodation.”

The landlord’s property manager must file an answer to the charge within 30 days.