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Housing Discrimination and Accommodations

Published
October 20, 2021
Topics
Adult Life, Advocacy

In New York City, the Fair Housing Act and the NYC Human Rights Laws protect tenants with disabilities from housing discrimination. 

What is housing discrimination?

  • Failure to make older buildings accessible to people with disabilities
  • Failure to meet accommodation requirements for new buildings
  • Exclusion based on disability
  • Exclusion based on source of income 

 What are reasonable accommodations?

Tenants with disabilities are entitled to equal access and reasonable accommodations. A reasonable accommodation is a structural or policy change made by a property owner that gives a person with a disability the same use of the property as tenants without disabilities. If the accommodation is found to be architecturally and financially possible and will not negatively impact other tenants, then it must be paid for by the landlord. Common examples of reasonable accommodations include:

  • Building a ramp for wheelchair access
  • Allowing a service animal despite a no pets policy
  • Providing a reserved parking space 

If you feel you have experienced housing discrimination, contact the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office at (212) 416-8250 or civil.rights@ag.ny.gov.