I wanted to give a shout out to the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and the IREM 2015 Tri-State Conference and Expo held yesterday and today at the Borgata Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. The good people at IREM were kind enough to invite me to speak at their conference. While my topic was management's responsibilities when receiving reasonable accommodation and reasonable modification requests – I also promised that I would give conference attendees the "magic" list of all necessary reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications. Indeed, our group spent almost 90 minutes yesterday afternoon discussing reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications in general as well as going into specifics concerning recognized disabilities, types and format of requests, how to respond to requests, service animals, companion animals, restricted breeds, size limitations, pet fees and pet rent, direct threats, medical verifications, early lease terminations, changing rental due dates, ramps, thermostats, and parking spaces – just to name some of the topics we went through. It was an extremely useful exercise to get real world questions from property management professionals on the front lines working with our residents and applicants.
Oh, and that "magic" list of accommodations? It does not exist. We also discussed that management must review, evaluate, and respond (in writing) to every request. While we absolutely do not necessarily have to grant every request, we must consider each and every one we receive. And always remember to engage in the interactive process to: (a) comply with the law; and (b) to avoid having to deal with lawyers like me.
Just A Thought.
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