Legal Consulting
Reasonable Accommodations
Reasonable accommodation requests are a potential minefield. Let Equiveras help you navigate confidently with expert advice.
For decades, disability discrimination has been the basis for the vast majority of fair housing complaints nationwide. Chief among these complaints are those involving denials of reasonable accommodation requests. Unfortunately, misunderstanding and misinformation about what the law requires has only increased as the number of complaints has gone up. Both residents and housing providers must navigate difficult questions, including:
- Who has to provide accommodations? Landlords? Homeowners Associations? Local governments?
- What is a disability?
- What medical verification is necessary, and who can provide it?
- How do I know if an accommodation is reasonable?
- Can a tenant be required to fill out a particular form?
- If the housing provider suggests an alternative accommodation, does the tenant have to accept?
- What if the accommodation costs the housing provider additional money?
- For what reasons can accommodation request be denied?
Because each situation is different, there are no bright-line rules or easy answers. In addition, a reasonable accommodation process that is poorly handled on either side can sour a landlord-tenant relationship past repair. My extensive fair housing experience can you help understand your rights and obligations and help you maintain a professional landlord-tenant relationship.
How I Can Help
Choose a service* below or contact me to discuss your needs!
Consultation
Schedule a phone call or videoconference with me to discuss your specific accommodation questions. Available to both housing providers and residents.
Full Review
Full review of a reasonable accommodation request and all associated documentation.
For housing providers: I will assist you through the next steps in the process, from requesting additional information to making a decision. I will provide a recommendation on whether to grant or deny the request based on the available information and how best to communicate the decision to the tenant/resident.
For residents: I will review your documents and your desired accommodation and help you put together an appropriate request.
Ongoing Advice
If you are a large landlord, property management company, or other business that handles numerous accommodation requests, I can help you standardize your processes and provide ongoing advice on how to handle requests, as well as any other fair housing issues that arise. Contact me and we can discuss your needs!
*Available in Washington State; availability in other jurisdictions is determined on a case-by-case basis.
*All services are available in Washington State; availability in other jurisdictions is determined on a case-by-case basis.
Ready to talk?
Contact me to discuss your needs.