What Are The Fair Housing Rights In Oregon For People With Disabilities?
During the process of owning rental properties in Portland, or elsewhere across Oregon, landlords will encounter tenants with disabilities and they have to follow Fair Housing laws.
Landlords must not discriminate against prospective tenants who may have disabilities and if they chose to rent to those tenants, they must make every effort to make reasonable modifications to their rental properties so that their rental is safe and a habitable place for the tenant to live.
Fair Housing 101 – What Is Reasonable Modification?
By reasonable modification, this means that landlords should make improvements and accommodations to the rental property based on the tenant’s needs.
Some of the changes to the property that landlords should consider making include:
- Adding a grab bar to the shower
- Installing a ramp leading the front door
- Renovating the bathroom and shower to make it wheelchair accessible
If an Oregon property isn’t designed to reasonably accommodate a tenant, they must submit a request to the landlord in writing that states the accommodation that they need, and the timeframe that they would like to have the accommodation completed.
Landlords must respond to their tenant’s reasonable accommodation requests, especially if their disability is covered under Fair Housing laws, and the tenant can give a full copy of their medical history.
In some cases, a landlord can deny their tenant’s request only if the request isn’t related to their tenant’s disability, which would put a financial strain on the landlord, or it would fundamentally alter the nature of the rental property.
Contact Rent Portland Homes – Professionals
At Rent Portland Homes – Professionals, we specialize in local property management and can assist you with all of your property management needs including handling landlord-tenant issues and more.
To learn more about the services that we can offer you, contact us today by calling (503) 447-7735 or click here to connect with us online.
