A real point of difference option if you are keen for a long term tenant

Do you want to make a difference to the community AND have A LONG TERM QUALITY TENANT ? A fabulous point of difference for your next new build home or apartment (or renovation of an older property) is to make it more accessible and inclusive for all Australians - it only requires widening of doorwarys and a few other changes.

Renee has an extensive background in working with people with disabilities (over 25 years)...there is insufficient social housing available for people with disabilities desperate for quality housing - a great win-win - a home for a family/individual and a long term tenant for the investor...

http://www.landcom.com.au/downloads/uploaded/FINAL_Universal Housing Design Guidelines Fact Sheet_6507_740d.pdf

 

I have one of my properties like this, and think its a great thing. It's never been an issue for any tenants without disabilities.

Unfortunately my Brisbane places are purched on the sides of mountains

 

Great Topic!
Its easy for abled bodies not to consider what its like for people with disabilities and their family/carers.

A garage/carport that accommodates height/width for entry/exit of a van.
Easy access too/from the front/rear doors of the home.
Wider doorways & hallways so they're not constantly banging into them with their chair/fingers.
Suitable showers/toilets.
Kitchen appliances they can reach to turn on/off
Lots of considerations....

 

The National Disability Insurance Scheme will offer individuals with funding for home modifications to enable them to continue living in the community...if an individual is offered a long term lease the govt will case by case consider funding building modifications...for myself I prefer to fund my own assets so will budget to modify one IP. Also if we as investors fund a few modifications to our IPs I guarantee you will have a waiting list of tenants with disability desperate for appropriate accommodation. I am going to modify our Gracemere IP as a point of difference (once current lease expires in 10 months) to secure a long term quality tenant...I am aligned with many disability agencies with clients desperate for housing

 

Same here. We learnt our lesson a few years ago. My wife broke one ankle and tore the ligaments in another - she was confined to a wheelchair for weeks. In our previous house, we had to remove the door to our bedroom and the main toilet (a bit disconcerting for visitors ) to get her wheelchair in.

In our new house that we had designed and built, all doors (including showers) are a minimum of 820mm and we have no steps.

 

I have a couple of places which one of which has a ramp at the front where we have had requests for extra hand rails to be installed in bathrooms and bedrooms. This has either been requested by families with an elderly parent living with them or by people on disability pensions etc.
I'm not sure how it worked but once they had permission they had the rails installed free of charge.

 

@DiligentPM
Have you done one yet or will this be your first?
What are you considering the min for reno?
I.e;
Would you renovate the bathroom to allow flat floor entry to shower, hand held shower head etc?
What would the min door width be, is 820 frame only just sufficient?
Assuming spinal damage below shoulders toilet access from chair to bowl in what are usually a tight access in most homes (perhaps add one to the laundry?)

 

Hey there, we've got a ramp at a Brisbane property, is there somewhere we could let people looking for an accessible house know about it in the future?

 

I love this
Every human being is valuable. Cater for all.
A few years ago one of our regular attendees at our property seminars was in a wheel chair and we ensured that the venues we used catered for wheel chair access ie lifts, turning room etc..

 

Two of our properties already have been modified. The unit has the local community housing as a tenant since it was built and they have been model tenants.

The second is an older style home we purchased that had some minor works done for the existing tenant and they are in no hurry to leave.

 

Excellent stuff!

I have been at the NDIS World conference and a huge topic of concern to people with disabilities are lack of accessible housing.

In relation to your property, I have a lot of connections with NGOs as I used to work in executive roles for NGOs whilst being an active investor myself before eventually launching our business in our area of passion - property. PM me and I can give you some information.

Importantly, when looking at accessibility - think about these things (1) accessible entry to home i.e. wider door and ramp etc; (2) accessibility for bathrooms to get in and out - space to move a wheelchair inside the bathroom, shower sufficiently large to fit a shower chair etc

When homes are retrofitted with ramps, handrails and other devices, they can take on an institutionalised appearance. Universal design does not propose special features for the aged or disabled but instead promotes the use of standard building products and practices to overcome access and usability problems. For example, designing an entry without steps removes the need for the later addition of a ramp and handrails for wheelchair users, while improving access for children’s prams.

Helpful information:
The livable and adaptable house | YourHome

Practical tips on what to look out for with accessible housing:
New publication on housing accessibility | Australian Human Rights Commission

Victorian website re: universal design guidelines
Residential Home Design - DDA Design

 

I will start with ensuring access to the house (no stairs so I only need to widen the front doorway); bathroom and widen bedroom doors

 

Oh it will be my first

 

There are approximately 90 people in Queensland each year, who will suffer spinal cord injuries (SCI).

This may be due to accident (car accident/diving/falling down stairs etc) or other trauma or because of medical illness or disease. At present, there is no cure for SCI and these injuries often result in serious permanent disability. Most people with serious SCI need to come to the Spinal Injuries Unit (SIU) in Brisbane for treatment and rehabilitation rendering a person in a wheelchair for life.

Across all states and territories the statistics increase to about 30 per month

This does not include people with other medical issues, cerebral palsy, loss of functioning due to getting older and/or sporting traumas etc

Australian statistical overview

Over 4 million people in Australia have some form of disability. That's 1 in 5 people.

19% of men, and 18% of women have disability.

43% of people over 55 years have one or more disabilities.

2.2 million Australians of working age (15 – 64 years) have disability.

The numbers are expected to double in the next twenty years as we live longer - this is a huge consumer voice

 

I do a lot of work with spinal cord injured patients (in the SIU) and have published on the literature in relation to my subspecialty.

This is a group increasing in its prevalence, and further more, the injury is happening at an overall older age, and the life expectancy has increased. This will place a higher burden on the resources required by persons with this injury.

This is great that you even raised this notion. Most of us don't even think about it, especially not in relation to IPs.

 

Thank you Bran

I am reflecting on how the community (we are integral to the Australian community) can take tangible steps to contribute to solutions that offers a win-win for both the landlord and individual with disability...

 

Same! Wider doors are more expensive because they aren't "standard".
But if they made wider doors (to suit wheelchair access) "standard" then it would become cheaper.

Such a silly world we live in.

I've also noticed in some DA's, the developers make a point about a few of the unit/townhouses being "wheel chair accessible".... i just don't get that concept. Its not like those are particular unit/townhouses are to be sold ONLY to those with a wheelchair, its simply sold to the highest bidder isn't it?

 

Good stuff, cheers.
I've got a relo who needs accessible access as well.
You don't really think about it generally. You sure do when you have to go on crutches for a time.