Section 5 | 14/14 |
Reasonable Accommodations and Reasonable Modifications
A housing provider may ask for information that is necessary to evaluate if a requested reasonable accommodation or modification may be necessary because of a disability.
If a person’s disability is obvious, readily apparent, or otherwise known to the provider, and if the need for the requested accommodation or modification is also readily apparent or known, then the provider may not request any additional information.
If the disability and/or the disability-related need for the requested accommodation or modification is not known or obvious, the provider may request only information that is necessary to evaluate the disability and/or disability-related need for the accommodation. Depending on the person’s circumstances, this information may be from the requesting individual, a medical professional, a peer support group, a non-medical service agency, or a reliable third party who is in a position to know about the individual's disability. In most cases, an individual's medical records or detailed information about the nature of a person's disability is not necessary for this inquiry. A housing provider may not ordinarily inquire as to the nature and severity of an individual's disability.
Refusing to grant a reasonable accommodation or modification, or retaliating against a tenant who has requested either one, violate the Fair Housing Act. For example, the Fair Housing Act prohibits evicting a tenant because the tenant requested a reasonable accommodation. Housing providers may not charge a processing fee for reasonable accommodation requests.