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Additional Protection
If You Have a Disability
If
you or someone associated with you:
- Have a physical or mental disability
(including hearing, mobility and visual impairments,
chronic alcoholism, chronic mental illness, AIDS, AIDS
Related Complex and mental retardation) that substantially
limits one or more major life activities
- Have a record of such a disability
or
- Are regarded as having such a disability
your landlord may not:
- Refuse to let you make reasonable
modifications to your dwelling or common use areas,
at your expense, if necessary for the disabled person
to use the housing. (Where reasonable, the landlord
may permit changes only if you agree to restore the
property to its original condition when you move.)
- Refuse to make reasonable accommodations
in rules, policies, practices or services if necessary
for the disabled person to use the housing.
Example: A building with a
"no pets" policy must allow a visually impaired tenant to
keep a guide dog. Example:
An apartment complex that offers tenants ample, unassigned
parking must honor a request from a mobility-impaired
tenant for a reserved space near her apartment if necessary
to assure that she can have access to her apartment.
However, housing need not be made available
to a person who is a direct threat to the health or safety
of others or who currently uses illegal drugs.
Requirements for New Buildings
In buildings that are ready
for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, and have
an elevator and four or more units:
- Public and common areas must be accessible
to persons with disabilities
- Doors and hallways must be wide enough
for wheelchairs
- All units must have:
- An accessible route into and
through the unit
- Accessible light switches, electrical
outlets, thermostats and other environmental controls
- Reinforced bathroom walls to
allow later installation of grab bars and
- Kitchens and bathrooms that can
be used by people in wheelchairs.
If a building with four or more
units has no elevator and will be ready for first occupancy
after March 13, 1991, these standards apply to ground floor
units. These requirements for
new buildings do not replace any more stringent standards
in State or local law.
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