Landlords to feel pressures if disabled laws put in place

UK residential landlords may be obliged under an EU initiative to adapt all of their properties with facilities for disabled tenants, or face the consequences in court.

The equal treatment directive is being proposed by the European Commission, which will require all residential landlords to make reasonable adjustments to their properties to accommodate the disabled, such as widening door frames, altering bathrooms and kitchens, installing stair lifts and having signs in Braille. Currently these changes only happen if requested by a new tenant due to their high costs.

The plans are being fought by the Residential Landlords Association who has claimed a number of reasons against the changes to the European Commission. The changes would cost a lot of money for landlords who are already struggling with the market, as well as putting potential landlords off.

With the installation of new equipment, landlords would have to consider putting up the prices of their rent, which would then cause knock on effects for those tenants who are looking for affordable housing in these challenging times, including the disabled who may be on a low income.

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October 12^th 2009

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