The Code Requirements for Housing Accessibility dictates rulesabout everything from the placement of thermostats and lightswitches, to the width of hallways and confined room spaces wherewheelchairs may have difficulty turning, to the location of grabbars. The rules cover all buildings with four or more apartments orcondominiums. It applies to all units in buildings with elevatorsand all first-floor units in buildings without elevators.

The absence of clear-cut codes has worried owners, builders andrental management companies since the Fair Housing Act firstestablished the accessibility guidelines for handicapped people in1988."The good intentions of many apartment professionals trying tocomply with the Fair Housing Act's requirements have been thwartedbecause of a lack of clear guidance from HUD," says Ron Nickson,vice president of building codes for the National Multi HousingCouncil and National Apartment Association.

Even when owners and builders knew of the rules, they did notknow how to comply with the rules because the language of theFederal regulations is much more subjective than building codes,says an NMHC spokesperson.Real estate companies were reluctant tomake changes for the sake of compliance, knowing these would becostly renovations that might ultimately be rejected by regulatorsor in court.