There are many kinds of disabilities.  Some are easily distinguishable while some are not.  It would be harder for a landlord to know if the disabled tenant is honest about their physical condition if they cannot easily see the disability.  If you are a landlord, you have to take cautious action with tenants that have disabilities.

If a disability is easily noticeable like a person who uses a wheelchair because of the person’s inability to walk, the landlord should not ask for proof of disability.  This may result in harassment which violates the federal law.   On the other hand, for a disability that is not easily noticeable like being deaf, the landlord has the right to ask for evidence of the tenant’s disability.  Proof may come from the tenants treating physician or reputable counselors.  People who get SSI or Supplemental Security Income payments automatically meet the legal identification.  The tenant should also state the extent of disability.  A person who is totally deaf qualifies as a person with disability compared to someone with a mild impairment.

Tenants with disabilities can ask the landlord to modify the structure of the unit to help them live a better life.  A person in a wheelchair can ask for a ramp in their unit while a deaf person can ask for computer generated communication.