Under the Fair Housing Act, a landlord must allow a tenant with a disability to make reasonable changes to the unit when the change is needed to use the home fully. The tenant usually pays. The landlord may ask for a description of the work and proof it will be done properly, and may require some interior changes to be undone at move-out. This is information, not legal advice.
What is a reasonable modification?
A modification is a physical change to the unit or the building: a grab bar, a ramp, a wider doorway, lever handles. The rule is in 42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(A), which makes it unlawful to refuse reasonable modifications, at the expense of the person with a disability, when they may be necessary for full enjoyment of the premises.
An accommodation is a change to a rule, policy or service, such as a reserved parking space or an assistance animal in a no pets building. Both duties sit in the same subsection, and requests often arrive together.
| Question | Reasonable modification | Reasonable accommodation |
|---|---|---|
| What changes | The physical unit or building | A rule, policy, practice or service |
| Example | Grab bars, a ramp, a wider bathroom door | A reserved parking spot, an assistance animal |
| Who usually pays | The tenant, in private housing | Usually no cost to the tenant |
| Federal rule | 24 CFR 100.203 | 24 CFR 100.204 |
The volume is real. The National Fair Housing Alliance counted 32,321 housing discrimination complaints in 2024, and disability made up the largest share at 54.6 percent.
Who pays, and what can you ask for before saying yes?
In private rental housing the tenant pays for the work. What the landlord may require first is set out in 24 CFR 100.203(b): a reasonable description of the proposed change, reasonable assurance that the work will be done in a workmanlike manner, and that any required building permits will be obtained.
The money rule is strict. A landlord may not increase the customary security deposit for a tenant with a disability. Where it is needed to be reasonably sure restoration money will exist at the end of the lease, the landlord may negotiate payments into an interest-bearing escrow account, paid over a reasonable period, never more than the cost of the restoration. The interest belongs to the tenant.
Can you make the tenant undo it at move-out?
Sometimes. In a rental, the statute lets the landlord condition approval on the renter agreeing to restore the interior to its prior condition, reasonable wear and tear excepted, where that is reasonable.
The regulation gives two examples that settle most cases. Grab bars may have to come out at move-out, and the wall may have to be repaired. The blocking added inside the wall to hold them does not have to come out, because it harms no one and a future tenant may need it. A bathroom door widened for a wheelchair usually may not be required to be narrowed again.
Small owners should note one more rule. The exemption in 42 U.S.C. 3603(b) for an owner of up to three single-family homes is lost once a broker or anyone in the business of renting is used. When a property manager handles the unit, the full Act applies. State and local law can add duties on top.
How should a property manager handle the request?
Requests come in a text, a voicemail or a line in a maintenance ticket, and they do not need the words reasonable modification to count. The first job is to notice the request and pass it to a person who can decide.
Then keep a short written record: the date, what was asked, the details you requested, your answer and any restoration terms. Our guide to assistance animal requests covers the accommodation side.
LetHub answers rental inquiries in about 30 seconds by text, chat and phone, and hands requests like these to your team instead of deciding them. Book a demo to see the flow.
Reasonable modifications: FAQ
Does the landlord have to pay for the modification?
Not in most private rentals. Federal law puts the cost of a reasonable modification on the tenant who asks for it. Housing that receives federal funding follows separate accessibility rules that can shift the cost to the provider, so check the program rules if the property takes federal money.
Can I charge a bigger deposit for a modification?
No. A landlord may not raise the customary security deposit for a tenant with a disability. If you need assurance that restoration will be paid for, you may negotiate an interest-bearing escrow paid over time, capped at the restoration cost, with the interest going to the tenant.
Can I choose the contractor?
You can require workmanlike work and permits where code requires them. Insisting on one specific vendor goes beyond the regulation's list and can read as a barrier to the request. Approve qualified work by any competent contractor, and write down what standard you used to judge it.
Can I refuse a modification?
Only when it is not reasonable, for example when it would cause an undue burden or fundamentally change the property, or when there is no link between the change and the disability. Talk through alternatives with the tenant first, and keep a record of that exchange and your reasons.
