Is a landlord required to provide accessible features in units in accordance with Fair Housing Law?

Yes, landlords in Delaware are required to provide accessible features in units in accordance with Fair Housing Law. This law ensures that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to rent or purchase housing. Accessible features may include wider doorways and hallways, lever handles on doors, step-free access, lowered kitchen and bathroom counters, and accessible light switches and outlets. Accessibility also involves the spacing of furniture, ensuring sufficient circulation space for a wheelchair user to move between rooms. The Fair Housing Act, which was signed into law in 1968, is included within the Delaware Constitution as Title 6, Chapter 45, § 4502. This law seeks to eliminate discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status. It requires that qualified individuals with disabilities be provided with housing with features that are adaptive to their needs. Not only must landlords in Delaware provide accessible features in housing, they are also prohibited from inquiring about a potential tenant’s disability status and they must provide reasonable modifications to their residence for individuals with disabilities. Reasonable modifications may include adding grab bars in the bathroom or installing a wheelchair ramp outside of the unit. Overall, the Fair Housing Law in Delaware requires landlords to provide accessible features in their units in order to provide equal opportunity housing to people with disabilities. The law also prohibits discrimination and ensures that landlords provide reasonable accommodations to tenants with disabilities.

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