Winter Garden Landlords: What is ‘Reasonable Accommodation’ for Disabled Residents?

As a Winter Garden landlord with a single-family residence, you must confirm with the Federal Fair Housing Act’s stipulation to consent to ‘reasonable accommodations’ not only to disabled residents but also to residents who settle with or are accompanying disabled individuals. However, what is ‘reasonable accommodation’ and what would ‘unreasonable’ be?

For starters, ‘reasonable accommodation’ may be for the physical characteristics of the rental home, and might include basic adjustments, such as lowering towel bars and light switches, or a smoke alarm that has flashing lights in addition to an audible alarm. What is more, the resident would remunerate you for both the installation and removal of these accommodations.

Over and above accommodations to the physical aspects of the residence, you may be asked to render ‘reasonable accommodation’ on the administrative side. For example, you might have a resident with a mental disability that affects their memory. This resident might require that you call each month to propel them to pay the rent. This would be looked at as reasonable.

Now let’s scrutinize an example of what might be assessed ‘unreasonable.’ One of the key considerations in this respect is whether the accommodation would impose hardship on you as a housing provider. For example, suppose you own a two-story single-family rental house and receive a request that you install an elevator for a person with a physical disability. This could be dismissed as it would require notable construction and cost could total to a great deal.

An unreasonable accommodation behest could surface on the administrative side as well. Suppose you own a single-family residence and receive a request from a would-be resident with a mental impairment to call them each morning and evening to remind them to turn the exterior lights on at night and off in the morning. This could be assessed unreasonable and you as a landlord could rebuff this request.

Real Property Management South Orlando is very much well-versed in the Fair Housing Act requirements and how they are adaptable to you as a Winter Garden landlord with a single-family residence. We can help you orchestrate through these requirements to make certain that you are in accordance with all of those when renting to individuals with disabilities. Would you like to know more? Please contact us online or call us at 407-982-2000 for more information.