Hi i would just like to see if any one has a private landlord and if they found it easy to get them to agree to adapting the property using the disabilty facilities grant to adapt for wheelchair users?


Thanks

Si

What is a "private landlord" and how does the grant work?

A landlord who keeps himself to himself, doesn't like to gossip, obviously haha x

My father and my boss are both Landlords so I went and asked them what they'd think. The only concern they have is over damage to the building and what facilities are available to "put right" what has been done when the contract expires and the tenant moves out. Some things like wet rooms they weren't bothered by at all - after all, done well it boosts the property value and doesn't look "too crippled". But when you look at widening doors, lowered sink / cooking hobs, ramps, hand rails... after that they start to look nervous. The jobs are either structurally worrying (i.e. whose insurance covers the work done? How much more will a replacement door cost if the doorway has been widened?) or are obviously crippled and will need putting back when you've gone (if they can't rent the building to a midget..)

I guess it depends on the Land lord and what kind of contract you're looking at (i.e. long or short term, what is specified about returning the building to how it was when you moved in...)

Interesting.
I would want to be a long term tenant all i would need is a wet room really the doors would maybe need widening but it all gets paid for through the grant.


Si

hello all

firstly if you read the facilities who can get part you would have to live in the property for five years

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople...Home/DG_4000642

and also under the DDA landlords have to be very careful what they refuse to be done to thier property

and how they word everything

so no matter how worried they look if they havnt got a good enough excuse then they really dont have a lot of choice

putting it back to orginal state to what i can remember but dont quote me on this coz would need to look it up at work would fall on the disabled persons

so what ever you get taken out make sure it is stored properly so it can be replaced
unless it is such as a wet room or something the landlord is happy can stay after you have gone

hope this helps

Mark

The problem is finding the landlord that agrees to the adaptions before letting the property to us I know that there are loads of people in private let housing with disabilities and if i where the landlord i woud have no problems with getting the adaptions done it wont cost them anything and they would have a long term tenant.
The landlords that i have spoken to today have been helpful but dont have the right property for us and the one that had a flat that already had wide doors was too small.



Si

I looked at a place a few years back which had been converted for a wheelchair. It had a roll in wheelchair shower and lowered benchtop. Just standing at the bench for a couple of minutes was enough to give me a sore back. Thing is, although my injury caused my sore back, there weren't any grants available to convert the place back so I could use it (or my insurer was too tight to let me know about them) so I would imagine it could be quite limiting to landlords trying to rent it out.

PS, for those who aren't aware. A private landlord is a person who owns a house themselves and rents to others privately, as opposed to a government or council owned property.