Re: to Mr. Dan. - Landlord Forum thread

Re: to Mr. Dan. by MrDan (Georgia) on December 19, 2011 @22:40

I understand the following to mean is we as landlords can no longer require a request in writing. "When a tenant asks for some accommodation, you can of course say please fill this out, but if the tenant doesn’t, you’re no longer allowed to do nothing." A verbal request is as good as a written request. You can still and should have the disabled applicant/tenant put into writing the request. This is so you will not have a problem if the tenant complaints that you did not fulfill the request. If the tenant/applicant can not or will not put the request in writing, a friend or health provider can do so for the tenant. What you can not do is ignore the verbal request by not doing nothing. Sending a written notice to tenant in reference to what the tenant/applicant verbally said is a way to properly respond. 'One approach, if the tenant doesn’t give you something in writing, is to write down on your own form what you heard from the tenant, then ask the tenant to sign or initial that.' A landlord can ask for and required proof that an accommodation the tenant/applicant is requesting is required. A landlord has the right to offer any other alternatives that meets the requested accommodation also. So, yes you can and should request written documentation or at least have the tenant/applicant sign what you have written, so there is no dispute about what was requested. Remember, you do not have to commit a violation to get in trouble, you just have to be perceived as committing a violation to be in trouble! Document!

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