Accessible rentals are more well-known now than ever before. Despite the fact that it may seem to certainly be a fuss to create and make updates to your property to accommodate people with limited mobility, the fact is you can widen your potential tenant pool and give your rental home a competitive edge. By making your property more accessible, you captivate the elderly and tenants who use wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and more.
Smith Mountain Lake property managers grasp 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 best (and more profitable) option will be to keep accessibility in mind as you update your property and opt for those choices that will clearly invite disabled or elderly renters. Here are a couple of piece-of-cake ideas to set up and easily make your property more accessible to those with mobility challenges.
1. Floors
Carpeting can be complex for people who use wheelchairs, canes, or walkers, but so can slippery hard flooring. Precisely why, eventually, when it comes time to replace the flooring in your rental home, choose a sturdy, low-pile carpet. A low-pile carpet grants nice traction and won’t snag on the ends of canes and walkers. The right flooring can definitely make your rental swiftly more appealing to a wider range of tenants.
2. Entryway
One of the serious obstacles that people with mobility challenges face is a doorway that is too narrow. As you get ready with your next set of property improvements, consider replacing your entry door and possibly the interior doors with wider, more wheelchair-friendly versions. Indeed, lever doorknobs are more suitable for people with limited mobility than round knobs. It’s an easy project, but definitely, one that will make a big difference to a disabled tenant.
3. Bathroom
The bathroom holds lots of impediments for disabled tenants. But as a matter of fact, you can really easily make your bathrooms more accessible by upgrading your shower or tub and your toilet. By way of illustration, the standard tub is too high for people with limited mobility to step over. If you are getting ready to renovate, consider picking a walk-in tub or a shower with a lower threshold. However, toilets tend to be too low to the ground for many disabled people. When it’s due time to replace your toilet, use one that is a little taller. Both of these transformations can help make your rental much more accessible to all.
4. Kitchen
The kitchen is another space where challenges abound for people with limited mobility. As an illustration, most standard appliances, and countertops are too tall for people in wheelchairs to reach with comfort. If you’re remodeling your rental kitchen anyway, look into providing ADA-height appliances and counter space. With a little ingenuity and planning, you can do a lot to make your rental property’s kitchen one of the most accessible parts of the house.
5. Bedroom
Many other toilsome aspects of the home design that are really no-sweat to renovate are 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 seriously improve the quality of life for your tenants.
Are you looking for more practical tips in regard to how to make your rental appeal to quality tenants? Real Property Management Cairn can indeed 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.
