Important: Homzora is a housing research publisher, not a law firm, and nothing on this page is legal advice. This article is general information about the law as published by government and court sources at the time of writing, and it may not reflect later changes or the facts of your situation. Reading it does not create an attorney and client relationship. For advice about your situation, contact a licensed attorney or a legal aid organization in your state.
In the city of Philadelphia, about 327,500 of 679,400 occupied homes, or 48.2 percent, are rented, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey (Homzora Philadelphia dataset, Table B25003). The median gross rent is $1,397 a month (Homzora Philadelphia dataset, Table B25064). Renters with disabilities in those households have specific legal protections, and knowing how to use them can make the difference between a home that works and one that does not.
This guide explains disability rights for renters in Philadelphia: how to ask for a reasonable accommodation or modification, what accessible design newer buildings must have, how assistance animals are treated after recent federal changes, and where to file a complaint under federal and Pennsylvania law.
Quick answers
- Accommodations: landlords must make reasonable changes to rules and policies when needed because of a disability (42 U.S.C. § 3604).
- Modifications: landlords must allow reasonable physical changes, generally at the tenant’s expense in private housing (42 U.S.C. § 3604; HUD and DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Modifications (2008)).
- Medical records: a provider may not ask for them (HUD, Reasonable accommodations and modifications FAQs).
- Federal complaints: file with HUD within one year at 1.800.669.9777 (National Center for State Courts, HUD fair housing enforcement; Florida Commission on Human Relations, Fair housing).
Your rights under the Fair Housing Act
The federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against a renter because of disability. Discrimination includes refusing to permit reasonable modifications of existing premises, at the disabled person’s expense, and refusing to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services when they are needed for equal opportunity to use and enjoy a home (42 U.S.C. § 3604).
Reasonable accommodations
A reasonable accommodation is a change, exception, or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice, or service, such as a reserved accessible parking space, permission for a live in aide, or a change in how rent is paid (HUD and DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations (2004)). HUD’s guidance says you can make a request orally to any employee of your housing provider, and that the provider may not ask for your medical records (HUD, Reasonable accommodations and modifications FAQs).
Reasonable modifications
A reasonable modification is a physical change to the home, such as grab bars, a ramp, or a lowered counter. In private housing, the tenant is generally responsible for the cost, and may be asked to restore the interior only where that is reasonable (HUD and DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Modifications (2008)). In housing that receives federal financial assistance, Section 504 applies, and providers cannot make you pay for accommodations that involve structural changes (HUD, Reasonable accommodations and modifications FAQs; HUD, Section 504).
Accessible design in newer buildings
Multifamily buildings first occupied after March 13, 1991 with four or more units must meet accessibility requirements for all units in elevator buildings and ground floor units in other buildings. The requirements include an accessible entrance on an accessible route, accessible common areas, usable doors, an accessible route through the unit, reachable controls, reinforced walls for grab bars, and usable kitchens and bathrooms (HUD, Accessibility requirements for covered multifamily buildings).
Assistance animals
HUD withdrew its 2013 and 2020 notices on assistance animals in housing, effective September 17, 2025 (Federal Register, HUD withdrawal of fair housing guidance (2026)), and in May 2026 said it was permanently rescinding its 2020 notice, while noting that state and local laws are not affected and that people may still bring private lawsuits (Holland and Knight, HUD rescinds emotional support animal guidance (2026)). The Fair Housing Act’s accommodation requirement itself has not changed (42 U.S.C. § 3604), so check your state’s rules below.
Pennsylvania protections
Pennsylvania’s Human Relations Act protects the use, handling, or training of guide and support animals, and the state commission lists charging a fee for a service or support animal as a violation (Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Fair housing is your right).
Where to file a complaint in Philadelphia
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission takes complaints filed within 180 days (Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Fair housing is your right). The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations takes complaints within 300 days (Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, Guide to discrimination complaints). You can also file with HUD within one year of the discrimination (National Center for State Courts, HUD fair housing enforcement), and Disability Rights Texas notes that the deadline to file a fair housing lawsuit is two years (Disability Rights Texas, Filing a housing discrimination complaint).
How to make an accommodation request
- Describe the specific change you need and how it relates to your disability.
- Put the request in writing, even if you also ask in person, and keep a copy.
- Offer reliable information about the disability related need if it is not obvious, without sharing your full medical history.
- Ask for a response by a reasonable date.
- Keep notes of every conversation and response.
A sample request letter
Date: 2026. To: [landlord or manager]. Re: Reasonable accommodation request for [address, unit]. Because of a disability, I am requesting the following accommodation: [describe the change, for example, an accessible parking space near my entrance]. This change would allow me to use and enjoy my home. I can provide reliable information supporting this need if required. Please respond in writing by 2026. Sincerely, [name, phone].
If your request is denied
Under the HUD and DOJ joint statement, a housing provider can deny a request that would impose an undue financial and administrative burden or fundamentally alter its operations, but it should discuss alternatives (HUD and DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations (2004)). Ask for the reasons in writing, propose another way to meet your need, and if you believe the denial was unlawful, contact a fair housing organization or file a complaint within the deadlines listed in this guide.
Questions to ask before you rent
- Is the entrance and route to the unit step free?
- Are doorways and bathrooms wide enough for your mobility device?
- Where is accessible parking, and can a space be assigned?
- How are maintenance requests handled for accessibility features?
- Will the landlord allow modifications you may need later?
Keep records
Save copies of every request, response, photo, and receipt related to an accommodation or modification. If a dispute arises, a clear timeline of when you asked, what you asked for, and how the provider responded is often the most important evidence.
Communication accommodations
Accommodations can also cover how a landlord communicates with you, such as notices in large print, by email, or through a relay service, or extra time to respond to paperwork. Ask for the format you need in writing.
Live in aides and caregivers
If you need a live in aide, you can ask the landlord to allow that person to live with you as an accommodation. Ask how the aide will be screened and whether the aide will be listed on the lease, and get the agreement in writing.
Build your evidence file
Landlord and tenant disputes are usually decided by documents. Keep these together from the day you sign:
- The signed lease, every addendum, and every renewal.
- Receipts or bank records for the deposit and each rent payment.
- Dated photos and video of every room at move in and move out.
- Copies of every repair request and the landlord’s replies.
- Every notice you send or receive, with proof of delivery.
Keep copies somewhere other than your phone, such as an email to yourself, so they survive a lost device.
Accessible parking
If you need a parking space closer to your entrance, an accessible space, or an assigned space where parking is first come, first served, ask the landlord in writing as an accommodation. Explain how the change relates to your disability and keep a copy of the response.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay for a ramp or grab bars?
In private housing, generally yes, though the landlord must allow reasonable modifications; in federally assisted housing, the provider may have to pay (HUD and DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Modifications (2008); HUD, Reasonable accommodations and modifications FAQs).
Can my landlord ask about my diagnosis?
HUD’s guidance says a provider may not ask for your medical records (HUD, Reasonable accommodations and modifications FAQs).
Legal notice
Homzora is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Laws, court rules, and local programs change, and how they apply depends on your facts. Before you act on anything in this article, confirm the current rules with the court, a licensed attorney, or a legal aid organization.
Sources
- Homzora Philadelphia dataset, Table B25003
- Homzora Philadelphia dataset, Table B25064
- 42 U.S.C. § 3604
- HUD and DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Modifications (2008)
- HUD, Reasonable accommodations and modifications FAQs
- National Center for State Courts, HUD fair housing enforcement
- Florida Commission on Human Relations, Fair housing
- HUD and DOJ Joint Statement on Reasonable Accommodations (2004)
- HUD, Section 504
- HUD, Accessibility requirements for covered multifamily buildings
- Federal Register, HUD withdrawal of fair housing guidance (2026)
- Holland and Knight, HUD rescinds emotional support animal guidance (2026)
- Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, Fair housing is your right
- Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, Guide to discrimination complaints
- Disability Rights Texas, Filing a housing discrimination complaint