As a landlord of a single-family residence, you are, undoubtedly, required to comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act, which sanctions that you facilitate “reasonable accommodations” for not only disabled residents but, remember, also for those who live with or are closely linked to individuals with disabilities. On the flip side, what openly should be regarded as a “reasonable accommodation,” and how can you discern what would be considered “unreasonable”?
What is considered a reasonable accommodation?
Firstly, “reasonable accommodation” can involve any physical changes made to a rental home. This might include basic modifications, such as lowering towel bars and light switches or properly installing a smoke alarm with flashing lights along with an audible alarm. What is more, the resident is typically responsible for the costs related to furnishing and pulling out these accommodations.
Besides making physical accommodations to the residence, you might, likewise, be required to provide “reasonable accommodations” on the administrative side. Take one example, if you have a resident with a mental disability that heavily affects their memory, they might request that you call them each month to heedfully remind them to pay their rent. This request would be considered reasonable.
What is considered an unreasonable accommodation?
Let’s take into account an example of what might be deemed ‘unreasonable.’ A relevant factor in this observation is whether the requested accommodation would cause significant hardship for you as a housing provider. As an example, plainly imagine 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 imply significant construction work and be costly.
An unreasonable accommodation request can also surface on the administrative side. Such as, for illustration, if you own a single-family residence and take in a request from a potential resident with a mental impairment demanding for you to call them every single morning and evening to timely 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 figure out the difference between reasonable and unreasonable accommodations under the Federal Fair Housing Act. Appropriately supporting residents with disabilities is very important, but landlords should also discover their limits as to requests that may impose severe burdens. By communicating openly and correctly accommodating within reasonable limits, landlords can create an inclusive environment while watchfully safeguarding their interests.
Real Property Management South Orlando appropriately understands the Fair Housing Act and how it hugely affects you as a single-family homeowner in Winter Garden and nearby. We can seriously help you grasp well these rules to ensure compliance when renting to individuals with disabilities. If you want to get more pertinent info, please contact us online or at 407-982-2000.
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.
