The Government wants to make it a 'duty' for landlords to respond to requests from disabled tenants to make communal spaces outside their homes more accessible.

A consultation on the proposals has been launched by equalities minister Kemi Badenoch (main picture), who says the government wants to '�switch on'� legislation originally passed in 2010 within the Equality Act.

This will see landlords in all housing sectors who operate blocks of flats or other properties with communal areas required to make reasonable adjustments to the common parts of let residential premises.

'Our intention is to enable a disabled person to require a landlord to make reasonable physical changes to communal spaces outside the disabled person'�s home '� including outside areas, entrances, hallways, landings and stairwells '� so they can more easily use them,'� says Badenoch.

This duty will apply where a disabled person has identified the need for an adjustment and has made a request to the landlord.

This is in addition to an existing duty to allow disabled tenants and occupants to adjust their private dwellings where this was reasonable.

Challenges

'There have been challenges to reaching the point where these provisions can be implemented in England and Wales, as the government has needed to take account of burdens, costs and other priorities, but I am delighted that we have now reached a point where implementation of the provisions can soon proceed,'� says Badenoch.

Read recent discussions on the LandlordZONE Forum about accessibility adaptions.

Views on these likely burdens and costs are being sought from landlords from all housing sectors, managing and letting agents, local authorities and experts.

They are being asked to answer 18 questions on communal area accessibility and the consultation will run for the next ten weeks.

Full details of the consultation, including how to contribute, are on the DLUHC government website.