As a landlord of a single-family residence, you are, definitely, required to comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act, which asks that you agree to “reasonable accommodations” for not only disabled residents but, in actuality, also for those who live with or are linked, in any way, to individuals with disabilities. Nevertheless, what, decidedly, can be counted as a “reasonable accommodation,” and how can you ascertain what would be considered “unreasonable”?
What is considered a reasonable accommodation?
First off, “reasonable accommodation” can imply any physical changes made to a rental home. This might include basic modifications, such as lowering towel bars and light switches or integrating a smoke alarm with flashing lights along with an audible alarm. Moreover, the resident is typically responsible for the costs explicitly related to properly putting up and stripping away these accommodations.
Apart from making physical accommodations to the residence, you may also be obliged to provide “reasonable accommodations” on the administrative side. As for instance, if you have a resident with a mental disability that greatly affects their memory, they might request that you call them each month to carefully remind them to pay their rent. This request would be considered reasonable.
What is considered an unreasonable accommodation?
Let’s see an example of what might be deemed ‘unreasonable.’ A crucial factor in this exploration is whether the requested accommodation would cause significant hardship for you as a housing provider. Such as, for example, conjure up an image that you own a two-story single-family rental home and receive a request to install an elevator for a tenant with a physical disability. You could reasonably deny this request, as it would encompass significant construction work and be costly.
An unreasonable accommodation request can also crop up on the administrative side. Such as, if you own a single-family residence and lay hold of a request from a potential resident with a mental impairment asking that you have to call them each and every morning and evening to rightly remind them to turn the exterior lights on at night and off in the morning, this request could be deemed unreasonable. As a landlord, you would have the right to deny this request.
Landlords must discover the difference between reasonable and unreasonable accommodations under the Federal Fair Housing Act. Alertly supporting residents with disabilities is necessary, but landlords should also appreciate their limits in relation to requests that may impose substantial burdens. By communicating openly and heedfully accommodating within reasonable limits, landlords can create an inclusive environment while firmly safeguarding their interests.
Real Property Management Diversified takes in well the Fair Housing Act and how it deeply affects you as a single-family homeowner in Belleview and nearby. We can hugely help you clearly understand these rules to ensure compliance when renting to individuals with disabilities. If you want to get more info, please contact us online or at 352-854-2221.
Originally Published on May 11, 2018
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
