Reasonable accommodations: your rights if you have a disability

Last updated June 22, 2026

If you have a disability, federal law says your PHA and your landlord have to work with you — not just apply the same rules to everyone. This applies whether you rent from a private landlord using your voucher, or live in HUD-assisted housing.

These aren't favors. They're legal requirements.

Two types of changes you can ask for

Reasonable accommodations are changes to rules or policies. No physical changes to the unit — just changes in how things work:

Getting extra time to turn in PHA paperwork because of a hospitalization or mental health episode
Being allowed to have an assistance animal even in a no-pets building
Doing your recertification appointment by phone or in writing instead of in person
Getting an accessible parking space near your unit
Requesting a transfer to a first-floor unit because stairs are a health or safety risk for you

Reasonable modifications are physical changes to the unit itself:

Grab bars in the bathroom
A ramp at the entrance
A wider doorway for a wheelchair
Lowered light switches or thermostat controls

Who pays for modifications? It depends on the type of housing:

In a regular private rental, you typically pay for the modification yourself. The landlord may also ask you to restore the unit to its original condition when you leave.
In HUD-assisted housing (like project-based Section 8 buildings), the property owner is required to pay.

Who is covered

The Fair Housing Act defines disability broadly. It covers:

Physical impairments that limit everyday activities — mobility, chronic illness, vision, hearing
Mental health conditions — depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder
Having a history of a disability, even if you're in recovery
Being seen as having a disability (even if you don't consider yourself disabled)

You don't have to be receiving disability benefits to be covered.

How to make a request

There's no required form or magic words. You just need to:

Ask for the specific change you need
Make clear it's connected to a disability

Always do this in writing. An email or letter gives you a record of when you asked and what you asked for. Keep a copy.

Send the request to whoever controls what you're asking for:

To your PHA for anything involving program rules, paperwork, or your voucher
To your landlord for anything involving the unit or lease rules

Do you have to explain your disability?

Your PHA or landlord can ask you to provide verification — a letter from a doctor, therapist, social worker, or case manager confirming that you have a disability and that there's a connection to what you're requesting.

They cannot demand your full medical records or ask for your diagnosis. A short letter from any professional who knows your situation is enough.

If your disability is obvious — you use a wheelchair, for example — they cannot require documentation at all.

What happens after you ask

Once you make a request, the PHA or landlord has to take it seriously. They need to consider it, respond to you, and work with you in good faith.

They don't have to say yes to every request. They can say no if granting it would:

Cost them an unreasonably large amount of money, or
Completely change how their program or building works

But those are high bars. "We'd rather not" isn't enough. "It's against our policy" isn't enough either — the whole point of a reasonable accommodation is that it's an exception to the policy.

If your exact request doesn't work, they should suggest an alternative that does. The process is supposed to be a conversation, not a one-word answer.

If your request is denied

You have real options if a PHA or landlord says no:

File a complaint with HUD. HUD's Office of Fair Housing investigates complaints at no cost to you. You have one year from the denial to file. You can do it online at hud.gov or by calling HUD's Fair Housing hotline.

Contact a local fair housing organization. Most cities have a nonprofit fair housing agency that helps tenants — for free — with complaints, paperwork, and sometimes legal referrals. Search "fair housing [your city]" to find one.

Contact your state civil rights office. Many states have their own fair housing laws with extra protections or faster timelines than the federal process.

Assistance animals

An assistance animal is a form of reasonable accommodation — and it includes emotional support animals, not just trained service dogs.

A landlord's no-pets policy does not override your right to an assistance animal if you have a documented need for one.

What the landlord can ask for: a letter from a professional who knows you confirming the need. What they cannot do: charge a pet deposit for the animal (though they can charge for actual damage the animal causes).

The live-in aide exception

If you need someone to live with you to help with your disability — like a personal care aide or attendant — that person is considered a reasonable accommodation too.

A live-in aide is not counted as a household member for income or rent purposes. Your PHA can't count their income or use their presence to increase your rent share. See Section 8 for elderly and disabled households for more on how this works in practice.

If you need your PHA or landlord to do something differently because of your disability, ask — in writing, with a clear connection to your disability. The law is on your side. The process works better when you use it.