What is a reasonable accommodation request? By definition, under the Fair Housing Act, the housing provider is responsible for the costs associated with a reasonable accommodation unless it is an undue financial and administrative burden, while the tenant or someone acting on the tenant’s behalf, is responsible for costs associated with a reasonable modification.
What does this mean for you as an investor?
It means that to be in compliance with ADA we must consider any and all requests for modifications or accommodations to a premises that a tenant makes either before or during their tenancy. Such as a ramp, safety bars, change in administrative accommodations or other physical modifications to a property.
Who pays for the modification?
This depends on the request. Typically a homeowner would pay for a physical modification UNLESS it would be deemed an undue financial burden. For example: A disabled applicant in a wheelchair wants to rent a particular home due to it’s location to his medical providers, he will need ramps installed at least one doorway for access to the home. The owner of the property would be responsible for that cost. Another example, a current tenant had a medical issue during tenancy that requires additional support rails installed in the bathroom.
What do you do if you receive a request for a reasonable accommodation or modification?
This answer is not just black or white. There are several factors to be considered and each request needs to be reviewed carefully. Our recommendation is to speak with either your attorney or your property manager. You can review more information and guidelines on this by clicking here.
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