Accessible rentals are more and more popular now than ever before. Despite the fact that it may quite seem like a burden to update your property to accommodate people with limited mobility, the truth is, you can widen your potential tenant pool and give your rental home a competitive edge. By making your property more accessible, you easily attract both the elderly and/or tenants who use wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and more.
Miami property managers understand that federal law states you can’t discriminate against people based on their accessibility requirements. You could wait around until your tenant approaches you with an accommodation request. Or, the ideal (and more profitable) option could be to keep accessibility in mind as you update your property and pick options and possibilities that will truly attract disabled or elderly renters. Here are a few hassle-free ideas to help make your property more accessible to those with mobility challenges.
1. Floors
Carpeting can be real trouble for people who use wheelchairs, canes, or walkers, but so can slippery hard flooring. Thus, eventually when it comes time to replace the flooring in your rental home, opt for a sturdy, low-pile carpet. A low-pile carpet presents excellent traction and won’t snag on the ends of canes and walkers. The right flooring can make your rental totally more appealing to a wider range of tenants.
2. Entryway
One of the bigger obstacles that people with mobility challenges face is a doorway that is too narrow. As you iron out everything for your next set of property improvements, consider replacing your entry door (and possibly the interior doors) with wider, more wheelchair-friendly versions. Additionally, lever doorknobs are really good for people with limited mobility than round knobs. It’s quite a simple project, nevertheless, it is one that will make a big difference to a disabled tenant.
3. Bathroom
The bathroom holds several drawbacks for disabled tenants. The fixtures you usually see there were not created with them in mind. Although, be aware that you can effortlessly make your bathrooms more accessible by upgrading your shower or tub and your toilet. Right now, the standard tub is too high for people with limited mobility to step over. If you are gearing up to renovate, think of choosing a walk-in tub or a shower with a lower threshold. In addition, toilets tend to be too low to the ground for many disabled people. When the time is right to replace your toilet, opt for one that is at least a little taller. Both of these updates can help make your rental so much more accessible to all.
4. Kitchen
The kitchen is another location where challenges abound for people with limited mobility. There are quite a few fixtures that would make things more difficult for them. For example, most standard appliances and countertops are too tall for people in wheelchairs to reach with ease. If you’re remodeling your rental kitchen anyway, think of using ADA-height appliances and counter space. With a bit of resourcefulness and planning, you can enable and make your rental property’s kitchen one of the most accessible parts of the house.
5. Bedroom
There are other things you can do for your home design that is really no-sweat. You can change your closet rods and light switches. Both are, in most cases, too high for people in wheelchairs or with limited mobility to reach with ease. By installing closet rods closer to the floor and lowering the light switches, you can substantially improve the quality of life for your tenants.
Would you want more thoughts and insights on how to make your rental appeal to quality tenants? Real Property Management Dade can definitely help! Contact us online today to learn more about all the great services we offer property owners and landlords.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
