Question: if the units or homes owned are not handicap equipped does the law then force landlords to absorb the cost of remolding that would be highly specific to disabled persons?

I know that we need to allow for service dogs in NYS...BUT...here is what we put in our ad...We will consider a small pet with a $1500 security deposit and $25/month rent increase (we do not allow dogs in our other houses, but thought that we might try it this time with a $25/month increase and higher security deposit).A new tenant applicant (who I really want) thinks that I can't charge a higher security (normally just one month's rent) or the extra $25/month since she is handicapped and it is a real/official "service dog".What say ye????

Since we had built it out ourselves we had the luxury of making it handicap accessible all on one level. 

One thing I have seen if you know you will have overweight tenants is to have a handicapped toilet put in.

You just have to make sure you're not approving/declining an applicant based on race, color, sex, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, age, familial or marital status, handicap or disability or sexual orientation.  

They are not handicap access, nor have we made any claim that they are.  

Personally, I would pick cities where I had trusted boots on the ground to do some scouting for me and then start analyzing deals using the Bigger Pockets Rental Properties Calculator to see where I would get the best returns, then handicap those returns using population and demographic trends - Basically I would find the best place to purchase buy and hold properties where I had someone I could trust on the ground. 

You could very well be handicapped someday. 

The lease applies to ALL, regardless of handicap (ex. if can't physically do the cleaning, they can pay for or get assistance to have someone come in & clean).Best of Luck!

I found the website, Dave, and it's .org - not .com.Here's the article I read on the cases on this issue:http://www.oxfordhouse.org/userfiles/file/doc/fha-...Basically, recovering addicts are "handicapped" under federal law, which is quoted in the article.