Catering for Tenants with Special Needs
In some areas the rental market is highly competitive and attracting a good, long-term Tenant can be a challenge. What makes your property stand out from the rest and does it offer something to attract the right Tenant?
Some facts to consider:
- We have an ageing population in Australia. People over 65 years of age are set to more than double by 2056.
- 2 million Australians have a disability and of these, 78% are physical disabilities.
- In a 2014/2015 study 2 out of 3 older Australians opted not to use Aged Care facilities.
It makes sense to evaluate if the property you are trying to rent would suit either an elderly person or a person or family member with a disability. Some of the benefits of attracting these types of Tenants are:
- They are not transient
- They often have rental support
- In some cases, the government may provide financial assistance for private renters to renovate the rented property to meet their needs. These renovations add to the property value and appeal.
- They are low risk of complaint from other neighbours, etc.
There are a limited number of properties on the rental market at any given time that cater for this pool of people and properties that are user-friendly for the elderly, or those that have some physical impairment, are sought-after. This means less time on the market for rent and added attraction and appeal for when you sell the property. Research indicates a 60 percent chance that a house will be occupied by a person with a disability at some point during its existence
Some of the key factors to consider are:
- Properties on one level and with easy access. Entrances should not have stairs.
- Wide doorways to allow for walkers or wheelchairs (750mm wide)
- Flat thresholds – even a ½ inch threshold can be challenging to someone with a disability
- Lever style mixer taps rather than traditional ones that require a firm grip
- Pedestal sinks in the bathroom rather than closed vanity cabinet sink that allows someone in a wheelchair to get close to the basin
- Raised toilets with wall rails for people on wheelchairs and also the elderly with hip problems
- Lowered benchtops with empty space underneath for wheelchair accessibility
- Shower and bath rails
- Step-in baths
- Good security
- Car spaces with wide berths
- Switches and handles to be at wheelchair accessible height
- Is the property Assistance-Dog friendly?
There are some excellent suggestions on how to make a property more liveable for people at all stages of their lives in the Liveable Housing Design Guidelines – Australia online booklet: http://livablehousingaustralia.org.au/library/help/Livable_Housing_Design_Guidelines_Web1.pdf
A few simple alterations could change someone’s life and help you find a wonderful, reliable and long-term Tenant.
