Decide where the file should live before you open it
If you use a shared family computer to download an emotional support animal letter or assemble a housing request, think about who else can use that device and where downloads normally go. An ordinary PDF can remain in a shared Downloads folder long after you close the browser. A linked cloud folder can also copy it to a second device. Start by choosing a storage location you can access later and deciding whether the shared computer is necessary for the task. If you have a trusted personal device, doing the work there can avoid leaving an extra copy on the family computer.
Work from an account you control. If several people use the same desktop login, ask whether the computer already offers separate user accounts. A separate operating-system account can help keep ordinary files apart from other household users. It does not protect you from every person with administrator access or from software that monitors the device. If using the computer would expose records to someone you do not trust, wait until you can use another device. For help deciding which documents belong in the request, see the landlord documentation checklist.
Check the browser profile before signing in
Look at the browser's profile menu before opening email, a provider account, or a property portal. A family member's profile may already be signed in to cloud storage and may save passwords or form entries automatically. Use a session you control and avoid saving private credentials into a shared profile. When the browser offers to remember a password or save an address, check whose account would receive it. Enable an additional authentication factor on important accounts where available. The Federal Trade Commission explains that this helps protect an account if someone learns the password.
Private browsing can reduce what Chrome keeps about a session after its private windows close. Google notes that downloads and bookmarks still remain. Closing a private browser window does not delete the files you downloaded. Private browsing also does not change who can administer the computer or see your screen. If you use it, plan to review local copies and sign out of each service. Do not use a public computer for records containing sensitive details if you can avoid it. The United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology gives similar advice for sensitive accounts on shared machines.
Make one working copy and check what syncs
Before downloading, look at the browser's download destination. On many computers the Desktop or Documents folder can be linked to a cloud account. Check whether you are using a private folder or one that other family members can open. If the provider's portal lets you view what you need without downloading it, consider whether that is enough for the current step. When you do need a copy, use a clear filename that lets you recognize it later without placing a diagnosis or unnecessary personal detail in the name.
Keep the issuer's original intact. If you need a shorter signed letter or one with different information, ask the professional who issued it about an appropriate replacement. Do not edit a signed document to disguise or remove clinical conclusions. If you have separate supporting records, follow the guide to preparing limited-disclosure copies. An original and a working copy can serve different purposes. You should be able to tell which version you are about to send without opening several files on a computer someone else uses.
Review the recipient and attachments
Before sending an attachment, check that you are in the correct property account and that the unit or application reference is right. Compare the destination with the verified instructions from the property office. If you opened a message thread on a family account by mistake, start a new draft in your own account instead of forwarding it from the shared one. Check the recipient list, the attachment name, and any quoted material. A saved draft, preview, or forwarded conversation can retain information you never meant to send.
Open the actual attachment before submitting it. Make sure it is the intended letter or supporting record and that the draft has no unrelated files. Keep the sent receipt or confirmation in the private location you chose earlier. If the office provides an upload invitation, check that it belongs to the request you are working on. For help deciding between delivery methods, see the guide to email versus portal submission. If you are still considering an evaluation, the ESA evaluation pricing page explains the current options. A commercial registration card or certificate does not replace an appropriate clinical evaluation.
Sign out and check for copies before handing back the computer
Sign out of the property portal, provider portal, email, and any cloud storage you opened. Close the relevant windows and check the locations you actually used. Look in Downloads, the folder where you worked, and any printer output you collected. If you have confirmed that your personal copy and receipt are available elsewhere, remove any unneeded temporary files you created on the shared device using the normal controls for your account. Check whether a copy was synced to a shared account before assuming it is gone. Leave other household members' files and settings alone.
Deleting a visible file does not give you a reliable account of every backup, synced copy, browser record, or print queue. If the records are especially sensitive and you are unsure what the computer stores, a personal device is a better place to handle the next step. Keep the authoritative copy and delivery receipt somewhere you can recover them. If you are borrowing the computer with someone's help, agree before you start on what they will do and what information they will be able to see. Helping with the keyboard need not mean keeping a copy.
If you used the wrong account or left a document behind
Start with what you know. Record which account, folder, or recipient may have received the file. If you used the wrong browser profile, sign out of your account and check whether it saved your sign-in or synced a copy. If you suspect someone else has access to your account, use a trusted device to review the service's sign-in and security controls and update your credentials as appropriate. If you sent an attachment to an unintended recipient, contact that recipient promptly through a confirmed route, identify the mistaken attachment without resending it, and ask about removal. Preserve the record of what happened.
If you cannot tell where a document went, check the account history you can legitimately access. The property or document issuer may have instructions for handling an unintended disclosure. Tell them what you sent and through which channel, with only enough identifying information for them to find the submission. Do not treat an email recall or an empty browser window as confirmation that every copy disappeared. Use the correct channel for any replacement submission and save the new receipt privately.
Common questions about using a family computer
Can I print the letter and avoid saving a file? Check whether the portal opens a download first and whether the printer is shared. Collect all pages, including any failed print attempts, and check the browser's download location afterward. Can a family member send the document for me? Decide what they actually need to see, verify the recipient, and arrange where any copies will go. If someone else only needs to help with the device, you can handle the private upload yourself once the correct screen opens.
Before handing back the device, run through four questions. Which account did I use? Where did the file open or save? Who received the document? Where is my private copy and receipt? If you cannot answer one of those questions, work through that step while the details are fresh. Doing this once at the end makes it easier to respond if the office later asks you to confirm what it received.
Sources & further reading
General educational information, not individual medical or legal advice. Sources reviewed 2026-11-15.
