Explains what laws protect you from discrimination when you buy, rent, or live in a property (or place), what you can do if you have been discriminated against, and where you can get support and advice.
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Landlords and managers of properties should make reasonable adjustments for you if you are at a major disadvantage because of your mental health problems and it is reasonable, but you have to ask them for it.
You can ask your landlord or property manager to:
But you can't ask them to:
You can ask for changes to the tenancy's policy and practices, and for them to provide some services or aids if you are at a disadvantage compared with tenants who do not have your disability.
You can ask your landlord for changes to how they:
Luis has bipolar disorder. Sometimes when he is feeling unwell he doesn't pay attention to his post.
He writes to his landlord and asks them to send any important letters about his tenancy to his friend Jane as well as sending them to her. This is so he can be sure that he knows about changes in rent price, when repairs happen and whether he owes money.
This is likely to be a reasonable adjustment.
When you are a tenant, it is always a good idea to get legal advice about what kind of tenancy you have and what your rights are before you ask for adjustments. (See Useful contacts for information on where you can get legal advice.)
'Disability' has a special legal meaning under the Equality Act, which is broader than the usual way you might understand the word. The Equality Act says that you have a disability if you have an impairment that is either physical or mental and the impairment has a substantial, adverse and long term effect on your normal daily activities.
See our full list of legal terms.These are changes that:
should make for you if you are at a major disadvantage because of your mental health problems and it is reasonable.
Examples of reasonable adjustments include:
This information was published in December 2017.
This page is currently under review. All content was accurate when published.
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