D.D.A. guide: A place to live
Disability Rights
D.D.A. guide: A place to live
Accommodation
A
person with a disability has a right to obtain accommodation in the same
way as people without a disability. This includes renting a flat, house,
unit, a room in a boarding house, hotel or motel.
What
is expected?
The
Disability Discrimination Act (D.D.A.) makes it against the law for real
estate agents, landlords or landladies, and other providers of accommodation
to discriminate against a person because of a disability.
This
means that providers of accommodation cannot:
- Refuse
an application for accommodation from a person with a disability - Provide
a person with a disability with accommodation on less favourable terms
and conditions. For example, giving a person with a disability the least
attractive room in the hotel or not allowing a person to keep his or
her guide dog in a rented flat. - Put
the application of a person with a disability on the bottom of the list.
For example, giving an application a lower priority because it is assumed
the person with a disability will be a less stable tenant.
Like
other areas of the D.D.A. a defence of "unjustifiable hardship"
may be available in some circumstances.
Buying
Land
A
person with a disability has a right to buy land in the same way as people
without a disability.
The
D.D.A. makes it against the law for a real estate agent, landowner, or
other land and property agents to discriminate against a person because
of his or her disability, or the disability of an associate.
This
means that an agent or landowner cannot:
- Refuse
to sell land or property to a person with a disability. For example,
refusing to sell a house to a person with a disability because neighbours
object to the person's disability or the disabilities of any group intending
to use the house; or residents in a block of units refusing to sell
a unit to a person because of his or her disability. - Offer
land or property to a person with a disability on less favourable terms
and conditions. For example, offering to sell land to a person with
a disability at a higher price.