The fastest way to find a handicap accessible apartment is to filter for accessibility on a rental search site and focus on buildings first occupied after March 13, 1991, which federal law requires to include accessible entrances, routes, doors, switches, and bathroom reinforcements. Whatever the building's age, the Fair Housing Act requires your landlord to consider reasonable accommodation and modification requests for a disability, including a request to keep an assistance animal.
An accessible apartment is a home designed or adapted for people with different disabilities and access needs. That could mean step-free entry, wider doorways, reachable light switches, an accessible bathroom, an elevator, or features that support someone with a hearing, vision, or mobility disability.
"Accessible" on a listing is not a defined term. Listings use "accessible," "wheelchair accessible," and "ADA compliant" in different ways, and none of them guarantees a particular set of features. Ask what a property offers and whether those features meet your needs.
Congress enacted the Fair Housing Act in 1968. The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 added disability as a protected class and set design and construction requirements for covered multifamily dwellings first occupied after March 13, 1991.
The requirements apply to buildings with four or more units that have an elevator. In buildings with four or more units and no elevator, they apply to ground-floor units. Under 42 U.S.C. § 3604(f)(3)(C) and HUD's Fair Housing Act Design Manual, covered dwellings must include:
These requirements set a baseline, not a guarantee. A bathroom can have reinforced walls and still lack the turning space you need. Ask for measurements, photos, or an in-person tour.
Use several resources, then confirm the details with each property before you apply.
Once you have all your paperwork ready to go, it's time to find handicap accessible apartments near you! Searching for an apartment online is a great place to start. Most multifamily properties, especially larger communities, advertise online.
On Apartment List and other rental search sites, look for accessibility filters and property descriptions that name features you need. Filter names change, so check the current search options and confirm every listed feature with the property. A listing's accessibility label may not apply to the whole building or to your specific apartment.
Build a shortlist and contact each leasing office before you schedule tours. Ask about step-free entry, accessible parking, an elevator, and bathroom and kitchen features. If the listing doesn't answer, ask for measurements or photos.
Start with the HUD Resource Locator to find housing resources, public housing agencies, and other providers near you. Then contact your local public housing agency (PHA) about affordable housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, Mainstream vouchers, and properties with accessibility features.
Availability varies by location, and some programs have waiting lists.
Start with accessibility filters on rental sites and look at newer apartment buildings, which are more likely to include accessible features. Then confirm that the specific apartment has what you need.
Ask when the building was first occupied, which accessibility features it has, and whether you can tour the exact apartment. If a feature is missing, ask about a reasonable modification or accommodation.
Three federal laws apply in different housing situations. Knowing which one applies tells you what to ask for and where to turn if a request is refused.
| Law | Housing it covers | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Fair Housing Act | Most private and public rental housing, with some statutory exemptions | Protection from disability discrimination, reasonable accommodations and modifications, and design standards for covered buildings first occupied after March 13, 1991 |
| Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act | Programs and housing receiving federal financial assistance, including certain HUD-funded housing | Nondiscrimination, and in many cases accessibility and accommodation obligations beyond the Fair Housing Act |
| Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) | Title II: state and local government programs. Title III: public accommodations, such as a leasing office | Access to government housing programs and to public-facing spaces |
The Fair Housing Act prohibits disability discrimination in renting. It requires housing providers to allow reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, and services, and to permit reasonable physical modifications, when necessary for a person with a disability to use and enjoy a home. See 42 U.S.C. § 3604.
Section 504 applies when a property or program receives federal financial assistance. Ask the housing provider or administering agency which accessibility standards and accommodation procedures apply.
The ADA does not generally govern the interior of a privately owned apartment. Title II covers state and local government services, including housing programs run by public entities. Title III covers public accommodations and can include a leasing office. The Fair Housing Act and Section 504 govern the housing itself.
State and local laws may add protections. Use HUD's directory of state and local fair housing enforcement agencies to find an agency. Apartment List's guide to renting with a disability has more renter-focused information.
HUD and the Department of Justice explain these rights in joint statements on reasonable accommodations (2004) and reasonable modifications (2008).
| Reasonable accommodation | Reasonable modification | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A change to a rule, policy, practice, or service | A physical change to a dwelling or common area |
| Examples | An exception to a no-pets policy, or a different way to submit a request | Grab bars, a ramp, or a widened doorway |
| Who pays in private housing | The housing provider generally pays, unless it is an undue financial and administrative burden | The renter generally pays |
| Who pays in federally assisted housing | The housing provider generally pays | The housing provider generally pays for structural changes under Section 504, unless it is an undue financial and administrative burden, a fundamental alteration of the program, or the provider can meet your needs another way |
Sources: HUD and DOJ joint statement on reasonable modifications, Questions 8 and 31; HUD and DOJ joint statement on reasonable accommodations.
Ask your landlord, property manager, or leasing office. A written request creates a record of what you asked for and when. You don't need legal terms. Explain the change and how it relates to your ability to use your home. You don't have to share your medical history.
If your disability or the link between it and the request isn't obvious, the housing provider may ask for reliable information about the disability-related need. It shouldn't ask for unnecessary medical details or demand your full records. A provider may deny a request that isn't reasonable under the legal standard, but it can't deny one simply because it involves a disability.
Adapt this template and include only the personal information your request needs.
Subject: Request for a Reasonable Accommodation or Modification
Hello [Landlord or Property Manager],
I'm writing to request a reasonable [accommodation/modification] for my apartment at [property address or apartment number].
Because of a disability-related need, I'm requesting [describe the policy change or physical modification]. This change would help me use and enjoy my home.
Please let me know if you need reliable information about the disability-related need or if there are steps I should follow to submit this request. I'd appreciate a written response and information about next steps.
Thank you, [Your Name]
In private housing, a landlord may require you to agree to restore the interior to its prior condition at the end of the tenancy, excluding reasonable wear and tear, when restoration is reasonable. Before arranging work, get written approval and clarify who pays for materials, installation, maintenance, and restoration. Details are in the 2008 joint statement.
You can request an accommodation for a service animal or emotional support animal. HUD has narrowed its enforcement for ESA requests, but other legal protections may still apply. Under the Fair Housing Act, a request to keep an assistance animal in a no-pets building is a request for a reasonable accommodation. Animals trained to do work or perform tasks related to a disability are the clearest case.
Emotional support animals are less settled. HUD rescinded its 2020 assistance animal notice in September 2025. In a May 22, 2026 enforcement memo, HUD said it will find reasonable cause only in cases involving animals trained to provide disability-related assistance. Whether a landlord can charge a pet fee, or must waive one, now depends on the facts of the request and how courts and state or local agencies in your area read the law.
Read Apartment List's guides to renting with an emotional support animal and service animals, and contact a state or local fair housing agency before you rely on a fee waiver.
Tour the specific apartment you would rent, not only a model unit. Ask the leasing representative to demonstrate the features you rely on. Apartment List's guide to questions to ask when touring an apartment covers the rest of the tour.
| Feature | What to look for | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Route from parking or transit | No steps, steep slopes, or uneven pavement to the entrance | Is the entrance available to residents at all times? |
| Building entrance and doors | A step-free entrance or usable ramp. HUD's Design Manual calls for a 32-inch minimum clear opening on accessible doors and a nominal 32-inch clear opening inside the unit | Can you measure the clear opening of the main entry and bathroom doors? |
| Door weight and access systems | Doors you can open without help. Test key cards and how long doors stay open | Is there an automatic opener, and who repairs it? |
| Elevators | Location, size, controls, and access to the apartment and shared spaces | What happens during an outage? |
| Bathroom | Room to enter, turn, and use the toilet and shower or tub. HUD's Design Manual uses a 30 by 48 inch clear floor space for a stationary wheelchair | Are the walls reinforced for grab bars? |
| Kitchen | Counter height, cabinet access, appliance placement, and space to move | Can you reach the stovetop and controls from where you would use them? |
| Switches, outlets, thermostats | Controls you can reach and operate in every room | Can any controls be lowered? |
| Laundry and shared amenities | A clear route and doorways to machines, the mailroom, trash area, and gym | Is there an accessible route to each? |
| Parking | Accessible spaces, their location, and how they are assigned | Are spaces assigned or first come? |
| Emergency exit | How residents leave from an upper floor, especially if you rely on an elevator | What is the evacuation plan? |
Before you sign, also ask:
Eligibility, availability, and application steps vary. Contact the administering agency to confirm current details before relying on a program.
| Program | Administered by | Who it serves | How to start | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities | HUD, through participating properties | Eligible very low-income adults with disabilities | HUD's Section 811 information; ask about participating properties | Oct. 13, 2026 |
| Housing Choice Vouchers | Local public housing agencies, with HUD funding | Eligible households | Contact your local public housing agency about applications and waiting lists | Oct. 13, 2026 |
| Mainstream vouchers | Local public housing agencies, through the Housing Choice Voucher program | Eligible non-elderly people with disabilities | Contact your agency and review HUD's Mainstream voucher information | Oct. 13, 2026 |
| Centers for Independent Living | Community-based organizations | People with disabilities seeking local resources | Find a center through the Administration for Community Living | Oct. 13, 2026 |
Section 504 appears in the rights section above because it is a civil rights law, not a rental assistance program. Ask each agency whether its application is open, whether there is a waiting list, and whether staff can help identify properties with the features you need. Ask your agency whether it also administers Non-Elderly Disabled vouchers.
Prepare your materials in advance. Apartment List's guides to documents needed to rent an apartment and proof of income cover common requirements. Ask the property which documents it requires, how to submit them in an accessible format, and the deadlines. Keep copies of your application and any written messages about accessibility or accommodation requests.
Under the Fair Housing Act, covered multifamily buildings first occupied after March 13, 1991, must have accessible routes, sufficiently wide doors, reachable controls, reinforced bathroom walls, and usable kitchens and bathrooms. "Handicap accessible" on a listing is not a legal guarantee of every feature a renter needs. See 42 U.S.C. § 3604.
Your landlord may need to allow changes that help you use your home, such as a ramp or grab bars. In most private rentals, you generally pay for those changes. In federally assisted housing, the housing provider may be responsible for the cost. Who pays depends on the property and the change you need. See HUD's disability guidance.
Generally no for the interior of a privately owned rental. The ADA covers state and local government programs (Title II) and public accommodations such as a leasing office (Title III). The Fair Housing Act and, for federally assisted housing, Section 504 apply to the housing itself. See ADA.gov's Title II and Title III guidance.
It has no single meaning in rental listings. Ask which specific features the apartment has and request measurements. A listing label doesn't replace the Fair Housing Act's design requirements or your own needs.
Not automatically. In a building first occupied after March 13, 1991, with four or more units and no elevator, ground-floor units must meet the design requirements. In older buildings, a ground-floor unit may still have steps or narrow doors, so check each feature.
You can request an accommodation for a service animal or emotional support animal. HUD has narrowed its enforcement for ESA requests, but other legal protections may still apply. A landlord must consider a trained service animal as a request for possible reasonable accommodation and may ask for reliable information when the need isn't apparent.
In private housing, the renter generally pays for modifications such as a ramp or grab bars. In federally assisted housing, the housing provider generally pays for structural changes under Section 504 unless it is an undue financial and administrative burden. See the 2008 joint statement.
Not whether you have one. A landlord shouldn't ask applicants to disclose a disability or demand unnecessary medical information. When you request an accommodation, and the need isn't apparent, the provider may ask for reliable information related to that need, not your full medical history. See HUD's disability guidance.
Not to the 1991 design standard. Buildings first occupied on or before March 13, 1991, aren't required to meet the Fair Housing Act's design requirements. The Act's nondiscrimination, accommodation, and modification provisions still apply to them, and state or local laws may add requirements.
Report it to HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity through HUD's housing discrimination reporting page or by calling 1-800-669-9777. You must file within one year of the last date of the alleged discrimination, per HUD's intake and investigation process. File as soon as possible.
Checked October 13, 2026: 42 U.S.C. § 3604; HUD Fair Housing Act Design Manual, Chapter 3; HUD and DOJ joint statement on reasonable accommodations (2004); HUD and DOJ joint statement on reasonable modifications (2008); HUD enforcement memo on animal-related accommodations (May 22, 2026); HUD intake and investigation process.
In unit laundry, Granite counters, Hardwood floors, Dishwasher, Pet friendly, 24hr maintenance + more
In unit laundry, Patio / balcony, Hardwood floors, Dishwasher, 24hr maintenance, Garage + more
