• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Republica Press

Your Business & Political News Source

REPUBLICA PRESS
Your Business & Political News Source

  • Home
  • BUSINESS
  • MONEY
  • POLITICS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • SCIENCE/TECH
  • US
  • WORLD
  • VIDEOS

I Am Disabled. Why Can’t I Keep My Walker Outside My Front Door?

by

Q: I am 98 years old and depend on a walker. For a year, I have kept it in the hallway outside my studio apartment, which I rent from a shareholder in an East Village co-op. The walker doesn’t obstruct other apartments, or restrict access to the elevator or stairwell. Nevertheless, I’ve been informed that I must keep it inside my apartment. But this makes it difficult for me to get out because the space is narrow and complicated by a self-closing door. The situation could be dangerous in an emergency. Can the board make an exception for a disabled person?

A: As a tenant with a disability, you need to be able to safely enter and exit your apartment. If you need a reasonable accommodation for that to happen, your housing provider, which in this case is ultimately the co-op board, needs to provide you with one. However, the board has another equally important obligation to the safety of residents: It must follow city fire and building codes to keep hallways free of obstructions and access to exit routes clear.

“At the end of the day, this is a real thing, the question of egress routes being clear,” said John W. Egan, a lawyer and partner in the New York City office of the firm Seyfarth Shaw, where he leads the office’s disability-access practice. “There could be a real problem and it could be a liability issue if they’re allowing obstructions” in the hallways.

cooperative dialogue about issues such as this one. Write a letter to the owner of your apartment, the managing agent and the board requesting that they work with you to find a solution that allows you to safely enter and exit your apartment, but also keeps the building safe in the event of an emergency.

“There is usually a solution,” Mr. Egan said. “Maybe it’s buying a different walker. Maybe it’s putting it somewhere in the unit that is not directly along the egress route.”

Perhaps there is a spot outside your apartment door where a walker could safely fit. Or maybe yours could be hung in such a way that you can readily access it. Should you need a different walker, you could ask the building or your landlord to pay for it, as under city law the housing provider must cover the cost. Regardless, the building needs to work with you to solve this problem.

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.

View Source

>>> Don’t Miss Today’s BEST Amazon Deals! <<<<

Filed Under: REAL ESTATE

Primary Sidebar

More to See

NewPoint Real Estate Capital and Morgan Properties Launch NewPoint Impact Providing Innovative Suite of Affordable Housing Financing Solutions

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NewPoint Real Estate Capital (“NewPoint”), a pioneering real estate finance company, announces the launch of NewPoint … [Read More...] about NewPoint Real Estate Capital and Morgan Properties Launch NewPoint Impact Providing Innovative Suite of Affordable Housing Financing Solutions

Consumer confidence in the housing market hits the lowest point in over a decade

A sign stands outside an upscale home for sale in the Lake Pointe Subdivision of Austin, Texas.Ed Lallo | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesConsumer confidence … [Read More...] about Consumer confidence in the housing market hits the lowest point in over a decade

Thatch-Roof House Resembling a Mushroom Is This Week’s Most Popular Home

A famous thatch-roof house designed by Earl Young captivated the web and racked up tens of thousands of clicks. Resembling a mushroom, the unusual … [Read More...] about Thatch-Roof House Resembling a Mushroom Is This Week’s Most Popular Home

Copyright © 2022 · Republica Press · Log in · As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy