A landlord’s obligations to disabled tenants

It is your responsibility to ensure that you create a safe and inclusive environment for your tenants if they are disabled. As a landlord, you’re required to understand and meet the specific needs of these tenants so that their living conditions are suited to their needs. Here, we’ll discuss landlord obligations to disabled tenants, including looking at disabled tenant rights and best practices when renting to disabled tenants. 

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 is a piece of legislation that requires landlords to make an active effort to make reasonable adjustments, ensuring that disabled tenants have equal access to housing and an effective tenancy. 

As a landlord, your obligation to disabled tenants is to take the necessary steps to remove any barriers that would hinder a disabled tenant from being comfortable and safe in your property. This is known as making reasonable adjustments.

Reasonable adjustments

There are many ways in which you can make reasonable adjustments for your tenants, and this will very much depend on the needs of your tenant in the first place, including the nature of their disability. 

All of these factors will determine the extent of the adjustment needed, the cost and practicality for you as the landlord, and the benefit this will provide your tenant. Let’s take a look at how you can make renting to disabled tenants successful and the different reasonable adjustments you can make.  

Physical modifications

Physical modifications can easily improve a disabled tenant’s quality of life. Here are examples of physical modifications you could make: 

• Installing ramps or grab rails to allow tenants to move safely within the property
• Widening doorways to allow wheelchair users or mobility aid users to enter and exit the property, as well as move freely within the property
• Adapting bathrooms by installing accessible showers, lowering sinks and installing grab rails
• Adjusting kitchen layouts by lowering countertops or creating accessible storage
• Providing visual or hearing aids, which can involve installing flashing doorbells or tactile signage around the property

Policy adjustments

Another means of making reasonable adjustments for your tenants is by changing or updating your policies to accommodate your tenants’ needs. 

For example, you could:

• Change your policies to allow assistance animals
• Provide your policies in accessible formats, as Braille or electronically, for example
• Adjust your communication efforts to accommodate a tenant with a learning disability or who is hard of hearing/deaf
• Be more flexible with certain tenancy terms

Clear and proactive communication

As a landlord, another of your obligations to disabled tenants is to communicate openly and honestly with your tenants. You should also be prepared to engage with potential tenants about their needs so that they feel comfortable enough to approach you should they need to. 

Also, when asking tenants questions, make sure that you ask open-ended questions to avoid being too intrusive. Practice active listening so that tenants feel that you understand them and their needs. By creating an environment where tenants feel comfortable enough to discuss their disabilities with you, you’ll be able to understand what specific reasonable adjustments need to be made. 

Documentation is key

The best thing you can do as a landlord is to keep a record of all communication you’ve had with your tenants, including any records of any requests for adjustments, any discussions you may have with your tenants regarding these adjustments and whether the adjustments have been agreed upon and implemented. 

Keeping records and documentation is important for many different reasons, like:                                                

• Clarity: so that both parties have a clear understanding of what has been agreed upon 
• Protection: This could also serve as evidence of the fact that you have complied with the Equality Act 2010 in case any disputes arise
• Continuity: should you sell your property and there is a change in landlords, the documentation will ensure there is consistency and that all adjustments are maintained

Are landlords always expected to make reasonable adjustments?

Yes. Landlords are always obligated to make reasonable adjustments should a tenant with a disability request it. This falls under the Equality Act 2010. 

But, there are certain circumstances when you would not be obligated to make reasonable adjustments; this does not mean you are discriminating against disabled tenants’ rights. For example:

• If the property is considered a small premises and you or other family members live in the same property or properties that cannot house more than six people
• If the building is your main dwelling
• The Equality Act 2010 does not yet require landlords to make any reasonable adjustments or structural changes to common areas of the building, like stairways or hallways

Benefits beyond legal compliance

So, as much as it is completely necessary to ensure that you’re complying with any legislation, there are also benefits to making reasonable adjustments that go beyond this. For instance, you’ll be able to foster a more inclusive and tenant-friendly environment, which will allow you to be able to attract a wider range of tenants. 

Not only this, but you’ll also be sure to enhance tenant satisfaction as your tenants will feel understood and will likely become long-term tenants. Your reputation as a landlord will also improve, and by receiving positive reviews and feedback, you’ll be seen as a fair and considerate landlord. 

So, now you’re aware of your obligations as a landlord to disabled tenants, and you know how to ensure disabled tenants’ rights are respected. The repercussions of refusing to make reasonable adjustments for potential disabled tenants are far too big and can easily lead to your reputation becoming tarnished as a landlord. 

Being a landlord comes with many responsibilities, with one of them being to ensure that your property is being taken care of. Make sure that you invest in landlord insurance with CIA Landlords. 

We have the expertise to find the best landlord insurance deals that are suitable for your needs as a landlord. Contact us today at 01788 818 670 for a quote, and don’t forget to visit our resource centre for more information on how to be a successful landlord.