Can a Florida Condo or HOA Say No to a Stair Lift or Walk-In Shower?

A stair lift on a private stair inside the unit, a walk-in shower, or a tub-to-shower conversion is usually work inside the home. It can still be a reasonable modification when a resident with a disability needs it. The resident pays for it. The board can still ask to see the plan, because waterproofing, plumbing, an electrical outlet, and how a rail is attached can affect the building.

A shared stairwell, a lobby stair, or the steps at the building entrance are different. In a condominium those areas are common elements. Fair housing law still requires the association to allow a reasonable modification a resident with a disability needs, including in a public or common-use area. Florida condominium law also has its own rule for a material change to those common elements.

Fla. Stat. § 718.113 says a material alteration or substantial addition to condominium common elements has to follow the procedure in the declaration. If the declaration does not set that procedure, 75 percent of the total voting interests must approve before the alteration starts. That vote is about the change to shared property. It is not a vote on the resident's medical need.

An HOA is not a condominium. Section 718.113 is the condominium rule. An HOA follows its own recorded documents, and the same fair housing duty still applies. HUD and the U.S. Department of Justice say the Fair Housing Act's reasonable-modification duty reaches homeowners and condominium associations. This page does not read one building's declaration.

HUD and the U.S. Department of Justice explained reasonable modifications in their Joint Statement of March 5, 2008. A request can be oral or written. A written request is the practical way to send it, and a family member may send it for the resident. The resident does not have to use the words “reasonable modification,” as long as a reasonable person would understand the request.

The person needs the association's approval before the change is made. The joint statement says that if the person meets the requirements for a reasonable modification and provides the relevant documents and assurances, the housing provider cannot deny the request.

The joint statement says a housing provider may require a description of the modification, any building permits the work needs, and work done in a workmanlike way. It also says a provider may not condition approval on the resident buying special liability insurance. A certificate of insurance for the licensed contractor is a different document from a policy the resident would have to buy.

If the disability is not obvious, the provider may ask for reliable information that verifies the disability, describes the modification, and shows the relationship between the two. In most cases, medical records are not necessary. If the disability and the need are both obvious, the provider may not ask for more information about the disability. That information is confidential.

Restoration is limited. The joint statement says a provider may ask that interior changes be restored where it is reasonable to restore them, and the resident pays for that restoration. A change to a common area or the exterior is not something the resident must put back when they move. A unit owner and a renter are not in the same position, and the declaration may say more. An attorney can read that document.

An adult child can send the request for a parent. Keep a copy of what you sent and the date you sent it.

HUD and DOJ say a housing provider has to respond promptly. An undue delay in responding may be treated as a failure to permit the modification.

If the board says no, or does not answer, ask for the decision and the reason in writing. Keep that letter with the request you sent.

Two official routes exist. A housing discrimination complaint can be filed with HUD. The Florida Commission on Human Relations takes discrimination complaints, including housing. An attorney can tell you which route fits the building and what deadline applies. This page does not promise a result.

On a private stair inside the unit, the usual questions are the shape of the stair, a nearby outlet for the charger, and how the rail is attached. Many rails attach to the stair treads. The board can still ask for the plan, the license number, and the insurance certificate before it answers.

On a shared stairwell or a building entry, the lift sits on a common element in a condominium. Section 718.113 and the fair housing reasonable-modification duty can both matter. Start with the written request, and with plans the board can read.

The planning range for a stair lift in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach is $2,000–$5,000. Reconditioned from $2,000. The licensed contractor's written quote sets the price. Approval is not promised.

A tub-to-shower conversion stays in the old tub footprint and keeps a low step. A walk-in shower inside the unit is the same kind of project for this question: the work is inside the home. The board often still wants plans, because of waterproofing, the drain, and any shared plumbing line. The resident still needs approval before the work starts.

A curbless or zero-entry shower removes that step. The floor is re-sloped for a linear drain. That work can reach the slab or a common plumbing or structural system, so the board may treat it as more than a finish change inside the unit. Describe that scope in the request.

Planning ranges for Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach: a tub-to-shower conversion is $3,500–$8,000. A curbless or zero-entry shower is $8,000–$15,000. The written quote sets the price.

A ramp follows the same reasonable-modification rules when a resident with a disability needs it to get in. HUD and DOJ use a ramp at a building entrance, in a common area, as an example of a modification that must be permitted at the resident's expense.

A threshold ramp at a unit door is a smaller project than a full entry ramp on a shared walk or the building steps. The shared ramp is the common-element question.

The planning range is $650–$3,700. A threshold ramp is from $650. The written quote sets the price.

Safe In Place is a free in-home assessment for homeowners in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. It connects the family with one licensed, vetted local contractor.

The visit looks at the person and the space, including the stairs, the shower or tub, and the entrance. Visits are scheduled from 4 to 7 PM and at least two days out. The contractor writes the quote in about two days. The work is often done in about a week. Those timings are typical. They are not a promise for every building.

The contractor can provide the description, plans, Florida license number, and insurance certificate the board asks for, and can identify the permit office for the address. The family decides, with no obligation. Board approval is not promised. An adult child can set up the visit, including from out of town. Call (786) 755-1120. A real person answers from 9am to 8pm, seven days a week. Se habla español.

Read the official text. This page is a plain-language summary for families in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach. It is not legal advice, and it is not a promise that a board will approve a request.