Asking a Landlord for a Reasonable Accommodation: Letters and Rights
A "no pets" rule, a far-off parking spot or a rent date that lands before your disability check arrives can all be changed. Federal fair housing law says a landlord has to make reasonable changes when a disability makes them necessary. Here's how to ask, in writing, so the request is hard to ignore.
AT A GLANCE
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Most people never hear the phrase "reasonable accommodation" until they need one. Then they're standing in a leasing office being told "rules are rules." The Fair Housing Act says otherwise.
Under 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3), it's discrimination to refuse "reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services" when they may be necessary for a person with a disability to have an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a home. The same section covers physical modifications.
Who counts as having a disability
HUD's regulation, 24 CFR 100.201, uses the word "handicap," but it means what most people call a disability. It covers a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. It also covers people who have a record of such an impairment, or who are regarded as having one.
Major life activities include caring for yourself, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning and working. The Justice Department's fair housing page lists examples such as mobility and hearing impairments, HIV infection, chronic fatigue, learning disabilities, head injury and mental illness.
Two limits matter. Current illegal drug use isn't covered. And the law doesn't protect a tenant whose tenancy would be a direct threat to others' health or safety. DOJ says that decision has to be made person by person, not on assumptions about a disability.
The request can be for you, for someone who lives with you, or for someone associated with you. A parent can ask on behalf of a child who uses a wheelchair, for example.
Accommodation or modification?
The difference matters because it decides who pays.
Question | Accommodation | Modification |
|---|---|---|
What changes | A rule, policy, practice or service | The physical space: your unit or a common area |
Federal rule | 24 CFR 100.204 | 24 CFR 100.203 |
Typical examples | Guide dog in a no-pets building; reserved parking near your door | Grab bars; a wider bathroom doorway; a ramp |
Who pays in private rentals | Generally no direct cost to you | You, the tenant |
Conditions a landlord may set | Must be reasonable for the situation | A description of the work, proof it'll be done properly with permits, and sometimes restoring the interior when you move out |
Accommodation examples straight from the rule
HUD's own regulation gives two examples. In the first, a blind applicant wants to live with a seeing-eye dog in a building with a no-pets policy. Refusing is a violation, because without the dog the applicant wouldn't have an equal opportunity to use the home.
In the second, a tenant who can only walk short distances asks for a reserved space near his unit in a complex where parking is first come, first served. The regulation says refusing is a violation, and the request is reasonable because it's "feasible and practical under the circumstances."
Many everyday requests follow the same logic, such as moving your rent due date to match when a disability payment arrives, getting help completing paperwork, allowing a live-in aide, or giving more time to respond to a waitlist letter.
Modification rules worth knowing
For physical changes, the federal rule gives landlords some room, but not much:
They can ask for details. A reasonable description of the work, and reasonable assurance it'll be done in a workmanlike way with any required permits.
They can ask you to restore the interior when you move out, minus normal wear and tear, where that's reasonable.
They can't raise your security deposit. If restoration costs are a real concern, the landlord may negotiate payments into an interest-bearing escrow account, capped at the cost of restoration. The interest goes to you.
The regulation's examples show where the line falls. A landlord may ask a tenant to take down grab bars and patch the wall when moving out. It would be unreasonable to require removing the reinforcement behind the wall. And a landlord usually can't make a family pay to narrow a widened doorway later, because a wider door doesn't hurt the next tenant.
Refusing a reasonable accommodation isn't just bad customer service. Under the Fair Housing Act, it can be discrimination.
What a landlord can and can't ask
At the application stage, 24 CFR 100.202(c) bars landlords from asking whether an applicant has a disability, or about its nature or severity. They can ask everyone the same questions about meeting the terms of tenancy.
When you're the one asking for an accommodation, it's reasonable to explain the connection between your disability and the change you need. If the disability or the need isn't obvious, a short letter from a doctor, therapist, caseworker or other professional who knows your situation can help. Keep it short. You can ask the provider to confirm the disability and explain why the change helps, without handing over your full medical records.
A note about assistance animals
In September 2025, HUD withdrew two guidance documents on assistance animals, the 2013 notice on service and assistance animals and the 2020 notice on assessing animal requests. HUD said they shouldn't be relied on while it reviews them.
The underlying law and regulation didn't change. The guide-dog example is still written into 24 CFR 100.204, and animal requests are still decided as reasonable accommodation requests. Expect landlords to be less sure of the rules than before, so a clear letter matters even more.
How to ask, step by step
Write down the exact change you need. "Please let me pay rent on the 5th instead of the 1st" is better than "I need flexibility."
Connect it to your disability in one or two sentences. You don't need to name a diagnosis. For example: "Because of a disability, my only income is a monthly benefit deposited on the 3rd."
Get a short supporting letter if the need isn't obvious. Ask a provider who knows you to confirm the disability and why the change helps.
Send it to the landlord or property manager in writing. Use email, the tenant portal, or certified mail. Keep a copy and note the date.
Offer to talk. If the landlord says no to your exact request, ask whether another change would work. The goal is a solution, not a standoff.
Follow up in writing. If you've heard nothing after a reasonable wait, send a short reminder that refers to your first letter and its date.
Write down every reply, including verbal ones: who said it, when, and what they said.
Sample request letter
You can adapt this:
Dear [Property Manager], I live at [address], Unit [#]. I have a disability, and I'm requesting a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act: [the exact change]. This is necessary because [one sentence on how it relates to your disability]. I've attached a letter from [provider type] confirming this. Please reply in writing by [date]. Thank you, [Name], [phone].
For a modification, add a description of the work, who will do it, and an offer to show permits and restore the space later if that's reasonable.
If the answer is no
A refusal, or silence that drags on, isn't the end. You have deadlines, so don't wait too long.
Option | Deadline | Where |
|---|---|---|
Report to HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity | Within 1 year of the discriminatory practice | Online at hud.gov/reporthousingdiscrimination, by phone at 1-800-669-9777, or by mail to your regional FHEO office |
File your own lawsuit | Within 2 years | Federal or state court |
Get help filing | Any time before the deadline | A HUD office, a lawyer, or an organization can help you file, under 24 CFR 103.20 |
HUD asks for your name and address, the landlord or manager's name and address, the property address, a short description of what happened, and the dates. You can file even before a discriminatory act happens, if you know it's about to, under 24 CFR 103.15.
HUD's reporting page also says retaliation is illegal. That covers retaliation for filing with HUD and for reporting a discriminatory practice to the housing provider.
Small landlords may be exempt
The Fair Housing Act has narrow exemptions in 42 U.S.C. § 3603(b). One covers rooms or units in a building with four or fewer units when the owner lives in one of them. Another covers some single-family homes rented by an owner who owns no more than three and doesn't use a broker. State or local laws may still apply, so ask a local fair housing group if your landlord claims an exemption.
Living in public or HUD-funded housing?
HUD's reporting page lists Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the ADA as separate protections in HUD-funded programs. Your housing authority or property manager should have its own accommodation process, and you can ask for it in writing.
Before you call
☐ The exact change you're asking for, written in one sentence
☐ A copy of your lease and any rule the landlord cited
☐ A supporting letter from a provider, if the need isn't obvious
☐ Copies of every letter, email and portal message, with dates
☐ Notes on phone calls or conversations: date, name, what was said
☐ The landlord or management company's legal name and address
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
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Related help
If a waitlist letter arrived at a bad time, our guide to Section 8 waitlists explains how to check your status. Tenants facing a case in New York City should read about the right to a free eviction lawyer. In Philadelphia, see tenant repair rights and the Fair Housing Commission.
Official sources
Last checked: October 23, 2026 (federal regulations, U.S. Code sections, and HUD's reporting and FHEO contact pages).
This is general information about federal law. Many states and cities add stronger protections, and a local fair housing organization or legal aid office can advise on your situation.
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