Modifications to meet Americans with Disability Act

[Christopher Winkler]

Studying for my Texas license test and I am kind of shocked to see the landlord is forced to pay for modifications to the rental to make the place safe and comfortable to live in at his own expense for a disabled person. 

Where do you draw the line, and can you then charge a higher rent to cover the costs over the year of the lease, or are you just have to eat those costs? All the stuff you have to do to accomidate mankind is quite overwhelming, and the only thing you can discriminate on is income, or lack of it. 

Almost makes you not want to offer rentals, unless you just charge more than the going rate to weed out most of the  issues that are typically problems you can't do anything about?

Love to hear feedback from any landlords on this subject...

[Mike Reynolds]

You can require them to make payments on the necessary fixes to go into an escrow account not to exceed the total cost of repairs. 

You cant deny them the ability to have the repairs done at their cost. In some cases you can require them to pay to put it back like it was when they leave. Widening a door has to stay. A grab bar can be made to have them take them back out. Otherwise yes in many cases. 

If its built before 1991?? I think it is grandfathered. 

When I build a new house or whatever I always make it ADA compliant except for the counter tops. All doors 3/0 no exceptions. I will block for grab bars and leave it up to the owners to put them in if they want. High boy toilets unless the owner begs me not to. I had one like that but it was only in her master and only her toilet. It was a his and hers deal. Total extra cost for these are about 300-800 dollars per house on a new build. High side only if the doors are custom. Standard doors are only about 5-10 bucks a door more for a 3/0 so why not?