Sterea Realty Group LLC is committed to accessibility — in the housing we manage and broker, and on this website. The notice below summarizes tenants' rights to reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities under the New York State Human Rights Law.
Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities
The New York State Human Rights Law requires housing providers to make reasonable accommodations or modifications to a building or living space to meet the needs of people with disabilities. If you have a physical, mental, or medical impairment, you can ask your housing provider to make the common areas of your building accessible, or to change certain policies to meet your needs.
How to request an accommodation
To request a reasonable accommodation, contact your property manager. You will need to inform us that you have a disability or health problem that interferes with your use of housing, and that your requested accommodation may be necessary to provide you equal access to and enjoyment of your housing or its amenities and services. A housing provider may request medical information when necessary to confirm that there is a covered disability and that the requested accommodation is disability-related.
What you can request
If you have a physical, mental, or medical impairment, you can request:
- Permission to change the interior of your housing unit to make it accessible. In a rental, you are generally required to pay for these modifications, and your provider may require you to restore the unit to its original condition when you move out.
- Changes to your housing provider's rules, policies, practices, or services.
- Changes to the common areas of the building so you have an equal opportunity to use them. The New York State Human Rights Law requires housing providers to pay for reasonable modifications to common-use areas.
Examples
- If you have a mobility impairment, your provider may be required to provide a ramp or other reasonable means to enter and exit the building.
- If your healthcare provider documents that an animal will assist with your disability, you should be permitted to keep the animal despite a "no pet" rule.
- If you need grab bars in your bathroom, you can request permission to install them at your own expense. If your housing was built for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 and the walls must be reinforced, your provider must pay for that reinforcement.
- If you have an impairment that requires a parking space close to your unit, you can request one, or to be placed at the top of a waiting list if no adjacent spot is available.
- If you have a visual impairment and need printed notices in large print or in an electronic format, you can request that accommodation.
Required accessibility standards
All buildings constructed for first occupancy after March 13, 1991 are required to meet the following standards:
- Public and common areas must be readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.
- All doors must be sufficiently wide to allow passage by persons in wheelchairs.
- Multi-family buildings must contain accessible passageways, fixtures, outlets, thermostats, bathrooms, and kitchens.
Filing a complaint
If you believe you have been denied a reasonable accommodation, or were denied housing or retaliated against because you requested one, you may file a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights within one year of the alleged discriminatory act, or in court within three years. Learn more at dhr.ny.gov or call 1-888-392-3644.
Website accessibility
We want everyone to be able to use this website. We strive to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA. If you have difficulty accessing any content on this site, please contact us at (212) 678-0100 or jm@sterea.com, and we will work to provide the information or assistance you need.
This page is provided for general informational purposes and is not legal advice.