Accessible rentals are more and more popular now than ever before. Although it may look like a bother and a huge hassle to create modifications to 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 attract the elderly and tenants who use wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and more.
Franklin property managers recognize that federal law states you can’t discriminate against people based on their accessibility requirements. You could always 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 some pretty simple ideas to make your property more accessible to those with mobility challenges.
1. Floors
Carpeting can be a concern for people who use wheelchairs, canes, or walkers, but so can slippery hard flooring. This is exactly why, when it’s time to replace the flooring in your rental home, use a sturdy, low-pile carpet. A low-pile carpet contributes good traction and won’t snag on the ends of canes and walkers. The right flooring can make your rental easily more appealing to a wider range of tenants.
2. Entryway
One of the greatest obstacles that people with mobility challenges face is a doorway that is too narrow. As you set up your next set of property improvements, consider replacing your entry door and possibly the interior doors with wider, more wheelchair-friendly versions. Moreover, lever doorknobs are more suitable for people with limited mobility than round knobs. It’s quite a simple project, nevertheless one that will make a big difference to a disabled tenant.
3. Bathroom
The bathroom holds countless problems for disabled tenants. But certainly, you can very easily make your bathrooms more accessible by upgrading your shower or tub and your toilet. For instance, 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 upgrades can help make your rental more and more accessible to all.
4. Kitchen
The kitchen is another setting where challenges abound for people with limited mobility. 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, take into account making use of ADA-height appliances and counter space. With a bit of creativity and planning, you can effectively make your rental property’s kitchen one of the most accessible parts of the house.
5. Bedroom
Other tedious aspects of the home design that are pretty much easy to alter are closet rods and light switches. Both are usually too high for people in wheelchairs or with limited mobility to reach quite comfortably. 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 suggestions in connection with how to make your rental appeal to quality tenants? Real Property Management Indianapolis Edge can definitely help! Contact us online today to learn more about all the great services we offer property owners and landlords.