INSIDER’s Pop Quiz!

Q: A resident who is hard of hearing recently moved into your site and asks you to install visual smoke detectors in her unit. Since all your units are equipped with conventional smoke detectors, you should grant her request. True or false?

A: True. If your site provides conventional smoke detectors to all residents, then you must provide the visual equivalent of those devices to disabled residents so that they are on equal footing with nondisabled residents. Denying the resident’s request would be a violation of fair housing law.

For more information on meeting the needs of residents and applicants who are hard of hearing, see “How to Comply with Fair Housing Law When Dealing with People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing,” available to subscribers here.