Learn about the reasonable accommodations under the Fair Housing Act and how that applies to tenants and landlords. We will discuss requirements and responsibilities for both the owner and the tenant.
Hi, my name is Angela Huggins, I'm with Green River Property Management, and today I'm going to talk to you about the reasonable accommodations under the Fair Housing Act and how that applies to tenants and landlords.
What are Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act
Reasonable accommodations are when a landlord or housing provider would make changes to standard policies and procedures and or rules to accommodate a person with a disability. The Fair Housing Act defines a person with a disability as an individual with physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. It's really and intended to make a person feel comfortable and safe living in their home.
Who is responsible for making the modifications
- The accommodation is the requirement of the landlord.
- The modification then comes into play for the tenant.
The modification is a structural change that would impact the interior or exterior of the home. It is the tenants responsibility to make the changes as well as be able to accommodate and pay for them to be restored back to their original condition if that is a reasonable thing to do.
Example Modification
The Fair Housing Act defines what is reasonable kind of loosely, but would kind of give examples such that if a person in a wheelchair had to expand a door frame to fit their wheelchair, that it would not be reasonable to ask them to restore that to its original condition, to make it more narrow when they were to leave the property.
Important to Note:
- Any exterior changes that are made by a tenant are not required to be restored back to their original condition.
- Any request can be made by a tenant before or during tenancy at any time
- Any housing provider or landlord cannot deny or restrict housing or access to housing or these request as it would be considered discrimination
So if you have any questions about this or would like some more information, we'd be happy to answer for you at Green River Property Management.
