Ramps, Grab Bars and Stair Lifts: Reasonable Modifications in a 55+ Community

Under federal and New Jersey fair housing law, a 55+ community's association can't refuse to let a person with a disability make reasonable changes to their home, such as a ramp, grab bars or wider doorways, when the change is needed because of the disability. The owner generally pays for the change, the association can require a description of the work, building permits and a competent contractor before approving it, and changes to the association's rules, like an assigned parking space, are handled as a separate request called an accommodation.

I'm Dennis Mark Interdonato with The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living. This applies to any home under fair housing law, 55+ or not. Here's how it works in an association community, from someone who used to build and remodel these homes.

What is a reasonable modification?

A structural change to an existing home, inside or out, or to a common area. HUD and the Department of Justice list examples that are typically reasonable: widening doorways, installing grab bars in bathrooms, lowering kitchen cabinets, adding a ramp at a primary entrance, and altering a walkway to reach a common area (HUD/DOJ Joint Statement, Question 2). Federal rules make it unlawful to refuse one at the expense of the person with the disability (24 CFR 100.203), and New Jersey's Division on Civil Rights rules say the same (N.J.A.C. 13:13-3.4).

There has to be a connection between the change and the disability. In one of HUD's own examples, a condo association didn't have to approve a homeowner's switch to different roofing because there was no link between the request and his disability (Question 5).

Does this apply to homeowners' and condo associations?

Yes. The Joint Statement says courts have applied the Fair Housing Act to homeowners' and condominium associations, and it names homeowners' associations among those who may not refuse a reasonable modification (Questions 2 and 8). In a 55+ community, that means the association's architectural rules give way where a modification is reasonable and needed.

What's the difference between a modification and an accommodation?

• A modification is a physical change: a ramp, a grab bar, a widened door. The resident generally pays for it.
• An accommodation is a change to a rule, policy, practice or service, such as an exception to a parking policy. The association generally bears the cost unless it's an undue financial and administrative burden (Question 9; 24 CFR 100.204).

Parking is a common example. Courts have treated a request for an accessible or assigned parking space as an accommodation, and a housing provider may not charge extra fees for it (Question 11).

Who pays, and who maintains it?

The person making the modification generally pays for it (Question 3). Maintenance follows use: a modification used only by the resident, such as a lift inside the home, is the resident's to maintain, while one in a common area the association normally maintains, such as a ramp on a shared walkway, is the association's to maintain (Question 13).

What can the association require before approving it?

Approval comes first, but the conditions are limited. According to the Joint Statement:

• The resident needs the association's approval before starting, and if the request meets the requirements, it can't be denied (Question 16).
• The association may ask for a description of the work, require building permits and require that the work be done in a workmanlike manner (Question 21).
• It can't insist on a particular contractor (Question 23) and can't require special liability insurance (Question 22).
• It has to respond promptly; undue delay can count as a refusal (Question 17).

Permits still apply. New Jersey's construction code requires a permit for most structural work (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14), so a ramp or a widened doorway goes through the township as well as the association. My article on renovating a home in a 55+ community covers which work needs a permit.

How do you make the request?

Clearly, and preferably in writing. The Joint Statement says a request doesn't have to use the words "reasonable modification" or mention the law, can be made by a family member on the person's behalf, and can come from a prospective buyer before the purchase (Questions 14 and 15). Explain what you want to change and how it relates to the disability, if that isn't obvious. Include a simple drawing, the contractor's scope and the permit plan.

What does a builder check before adding a ramp or grab bars?

Grab bars need solid backing in the wall; HUD's own example mentions blocking between the studs (24 CFR 100.203). Ramps need the right slope, landings and drainage. Doorways can have plumbing or wiring in the wall. When I walk a home with a buyer who's planning changes like these, I look at how the house is framed and what the association maintains before we write an offer, so the plan and the price match.

If you're weighing changes to your current home against a move, read add a first-floor bedroom or move to a single-level home, and see what your home is worth with a free home value.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an HOA deny a wheelchair ramp?

Not if it's a reasonable modification needed because of a disability and the request meets the requirements. The association can require a description, permits and workmanlike work.

Who pays for grab bars or a ramp in a 55+ community?

Generally the person making the modification. The association generally bears the cost of accommodations, such as changes to a rule.

Can the association make me use its contractor?

No. HUD and DOJ say a housing provider can't insist on a particular contractor, only competent work and the required permits.

Is an assigned parking space a modification?

No. Courts have treated it as an accommodation, a change to a policy, and HUD and DOJ say a housing provider can't charge extra fees for it.

Can I ask before I buy?

Yes. HUD and DOJ say a prospective buyer may request a reasonable modification when the purchase is being discussed.

This is general information, not legal, tax or lending advice. Rules come from 24 CFR 100.203 and 100.204, N.J.A.C. 13:13-3.4 and the HUD/DOJ Joint Statement of March 5, 2008, opened October 11, 2026. For a specific request or a denial, talk with an attorney or the NJ Division on Civil Rights.

About the author

Dennis Mark Interdonato is a REALTOR® and Master CDRE® who leads The Dennis Mark Group at Keller Williams Realty Ocean Living in Point Pleasant, NJ, helping buyers and sellers throughout New Jersey make their next move, with Monmouth and Ocean County as home base. Read more about Dennis Mark.

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