Fair Houseing Commitment

Fair Housing Statement¹

It is illegal, pursuant to the Ohio Fair Housing Law, Division (H) of Section 4112.02 of the Revised Code and the Federal Fair Housing law, 42 U.S.C.A. 3601, to refuse to sell, transfer, assign, rent, lease, sublease or finance housing accommodations, refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of housing accommodations, or otherwise deny or make unavailable housing accommodations because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status as defined in Section 4112.01 of the Revised Code, ancestry, military status as defined in that section, disability as defined in that section, or national origin or to so discriminate in advertising the sale or rental of housing, in the financing of housing, or in the provision of real estate brokerage services.

It is also illegal, for profit, to induce or attempt to induce a person to sell or rent a dwelling by representations regarding the entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons belonging to one of the protected classes.

NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS & TENANTS

REGARDING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS AND/OR
REASONABLE MODIFICATIONS FOR TENANTS WITH DISABILITIES

We welcome all people into our properties and do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, disability, national origin, color, familial status, or religion. The federal and state Fair Housing Acts prohibit such discrimination and also requires landlords/housing providers to reasonably accommodate all disabled tenants.

As your landlord, we will permit all reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices or services as well as all reasonable requests to modify the premises to allow disabled tenants to fully use and enjoy their unit, including public and common use areas. If you have a disability and need a reasonable accommodation (such as a service/companion animal or an exception to the late rent policy to coincide with when you receive disability income), or a reasonable modification to your unit (such as a ramp to get in and out of your door, doorway widened, light fixtures or outlets moved, or handrails installed in the shower), please contact management. Such request may be made verbally or in writing. You may be requested to provide an explanation of why you need the accommodation or modification. In some cases, for example if your disability is not noticeable, we may request medical documentation, such as a letter from your medical provider, which will be kept confidential. Also, all requests for accommodation or modification will only be shared with our staff or agents as necessary to act on the request.

Where a disabled applicant or tenant requests a reasonable modification to an existing unit necessary for the tenant to fully enjoy his or her unit, depending on the modification requested, the applicant/tenant may be responsible for the cost of the modification pursuant to applicable federal and Ohio law.

We may also condition a modification made at the disabled tenant's expense on the disabled tenant doing one or more of the following:

• (1) providing a reasonable description of the proposed modification and reasonable assurance that the proposed modification will be made in a workman-like manner and that any required building permits will be obtained prior to the commencement of the proposed modification;
• (2) agreeing to restore at the end of the tenancy the interior of the premises to the condition they were in prior to the proposed modification, but subject to reasonable wear and tear during the period of occupancy, if it is reasonable to do so; and
• (3) paying into an interest-bearing escrow account that is in the landlord's name, over a reasonable period of time, a reasonable amount of money not to exceed the projected costs of the restoration, at the end of the tenancy of the unit as described above with the interest accrued being returned to the disabled tenant who made the payments into the escrow account. Payment into an interest bearing escrow account is limited to reasonable modifications the removal of which are determined to cost One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or more.

Notwithstanding the above paragraph, a tenant shall not be required to remove or restore to original condition: the widening of a doorway; the moving of environmental controls, light fixtures, electrical switches or outlets; or lowered door swing latches, and similar minor modifications. Management has an obligation to provide a prompt response to reasonable accommodation and modifications requests. When a disabled applicant or tenant requests a reasonable accommodation and/or modification, management will immediately begin the process to evaluate the applicant’s/tenant’s request.

Some reasonable accommodation requests may receive an immediate response, such as an accommodation to a no pets rule for a seeing-eye dog for an individual who is blind. Other reasonable accommodation and/or modification requests, such as widening the doorways, may take up to 5 business days. If the response is not immediate, management will give the requester, at the time the request is made, a timeline for a decision and will establish a way to maintain contact about the progress of the decision. Management will notify the requester if there is a change in the decision timeline. Requesters will be verbally notified of decisions and all decisions will be forwarded to the requester in a written response within 5 business days of the verbal response. If your request for reasonable accommodation or reasonable modification is denied by us, our written response will explain the reason for our denial.

If requested, management can also give you a list of agencies which may be able to answer any questions you may have about your requested accommodation or modification and rights to fair housing and equal housing opportunity.

All tenants will be provided with a copy of this policy. No tenant will be retaliated against (examples of retaliation include: threatened with eviction, charged additional fees, or denied services) for requesting an accommodation or modification, or assisting another tenant in requesting an accommodation or modification.

If you believe your fair housing rights have been denied, you should contact the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center (937) 223-6035, or the Ohio Civil Rights Commission at 1-888-278-7101.