As a landlord of a single-family residence, you are, in truth, required to comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act, which instructs that you give consent for “reasonable accommodations” for not only disabled residents but, besides that, also for those who live with or are closely tied with individuals with disabilities. Having said that, what undeniably should be thought of as a “reasonable accommodation,” and how can you realize what would be considered “unreasonable”?
What is considered a reasonable accommodation?
To kickstart things off, “reasonable accommodation” can mean whatever physical changes made to a rental home. This might include basic modifications, such as lowering towel bars and light switches or carefully setting up a smoke alarm with flashing lights along with an audible alarm. Besides that, the resident is typically responsible for the costs accompanying incorporating and stripping away these accommodations.
On top of making physical accommodations to the residence, you might, likewise, be obligated to provide “reasonable accommodations” on the administrative side. Such as, for instance, if you have a resident with a mental disability that acutely affects their memory, they might request that you call them each month to suitably remind them to pay their rent. This request would be considered reasonable.
What is considered an unreasonable accommodation?
Let’s review an example of what might be deemed ‘unreasonable.’ A critical key factor in this exploration is whether the requested accommodation would cause significant hardship for you as a housing provider. As for example, strongly 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 necessitate significant construction work and be costly.
An unreasonable accommodation request can also ensue on the administrative side. As an illustration, if you own a single-family residence and find a request from a potential resident with a mental impairment requesting you to call them every single morning and evening to simply 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 recognize the difference between reasonable and unreasonable accommodations under the Federal Fair Housing Act. Carefully supporting residents with disabilities is necessary, but landlords should also discern their limits with respect to requests that may impose pressing burdens. By communicating openly and firmly accommodating within reasonable limits, landlords can create an inclusive environment while attentively safeguarding their interests.
Real Property Management Greater Milwaukee carefully understands the Fair Housing Act and how it immensely affects you as a single-family homeowner in West Bend and nearby. We can surely help you ascertain well these rules to ensure compliance when renting to individuals with disabilities. If you want to get more crucial info, please contact us online or at 262-309-6961.
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.
