does handicap accessibility affect rental rates or rentability?

Question

My most recent SFR has a nice handicap ramp to the front door and bars/handles in bathrooms and stairs to help someone who is disabled. I am wondering if these have much value when renting the home or if it is a detraction from the home for someone who is not handicapped.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Bill Gulley · Answer

Mark, we've had marketing issues with SFDs with ramps, especially when the steps up the porch or landing is covered up with a ramp requiring able bodied persons to use the ramp, it's a long way around sometimes, awkward. So, we began building in a modular system (stiil for that property as to the grade requirement) allows easy removal.

Bath bars were not a problem, the toilet is a distraction, not so bad if it's out of the way next to a cabinet. IMO.

My ADA experience is through the hosuing authority and non-profits. Properties were rented and sold. Usually for a purchase it was best to remove the ADA equipment and it could be used in other units as needed.

A full ADA unit is not marketable to the general public as there are kitchen cabinets and bath cabinets for wheelchair access. 36" doors are not such a problem. If faucets are the big flat handle type, they aren't attractive for a marketable property.

Guess it comes down to how far from the norm the property is, barely noticable to way different, the further from the norm, the greater the issue, IMO.  :)