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Topics of Interest....What's Happening Now!

The National Apartment Association (NAA) has recently released the “NAA Toolkit, Emotional Support Animals: A Practical Guide to Reasonable Accommodation Requests.” Property owners have seen a significant increase in reasonable accommodation requests for emotional support animals in recent years and are concerned about possible abuse. While NAA seeks legislative and regulatory solutions to address concerns, NAA felt it was important to provide members with resources giving practical guidance on this emerging issue.

As background, a lack of clarity in federal regulations opens the door for abuse and imposes an unfair burden on property owners, undermining the intent of the Fair Housing Act to help those truly in need of an emotional support animal. In cases where a property owner may request documentation on the disability-related need for an emotional support animal, the regulations allow for a broad range of individuals to provide the verification. These individuals include a physician, psychiatrist, social worker or other mental health professional.

Additionally, an individual certifying the resident’s need for an emotional support animal is not required to have an actual treatment relationship with the resident. In some cases, the documentation supplied to property owners is in the form of a letter purchased online for a fee. This documentation may be obtained with little or no contact with a mental health professional, other than a brief consultation, and not as a result of an actual treatment relationship.

In light of these concerns, NAA organized a working group of members, affiliated association staff and attorneys specializing in fair housing to collaborate on resources to help members navigate this complicated issues; the resources are compiled in the toolkit, including:

The NAA/NMHC Fact Sheet on Emotional Support Animals, which provides overall background on this issue. It informs members on what NAA is doing to address their concerns;
Relevant federal guidance from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Justice;
Answers to frequently asked questions regarding reasonable accommodation requests for assistance animals;
Scripts for owners to use in training their leasing staffs;
Sample reasonable accommodation and modification policies;
Sample documentation forms for residents

Click here to access the NAA Toolkit

COVINGTON LANDLORD RESOURCES

Click here to go to the Covington Landlord Resource Website
Covington Landlord Forms and Documents

BED BUGS

Columbus Apartment Association Copyright 2008. Permission for duplication | & use to CAA members exclusively.
Bed Bug Free Certification
Bed Bug Rules and Regulations
Training Manual & Checklist – Looking for Bed Bugs
HUD Issues Revised Bed Bug Guidance

SUB-METERING OF BOILERS

Legislation-GreenHeat Boiler Sub-metering System

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS MATERIALS

Below are resources compiled by Dan Pike, Assured Neace Lukens, and presented in the Disaster Preparedness seminar in January 2016.
ERP Preparedness Checklist
Resident Emergency List 2016
ERP Phone Tree
ERP Incident Response Checklist
ERP CT and Provider Directory
LEAD PAINT

We have the Lead Paint Booklets required for distribution at the signing of the lease for buildings that were built before 1978. The booklets are .35 a piece. Click the link below for more information.
Lead Paint Information
Info about HUD’s LSHR
Various Articles on New Lead Paint Regulations – click on the Lead Paint category on the right of the page
http://todaysrentalnews.com/category/lead-paint/

POOLS

Legislation-Pool Requirements With the V.G. Baker Pool Requirements.

Be sure to check with your local Health Department that this will meet compliance

SATELLITE DISHES

FCC Fact Sheet on Placement of Antennas
NHMC – NAA Resident Information

WEATHERIZATION ARTICLES

Legislation-CAA Weatherization
Legislation-Landlord Weatherization
PDF-CHCCAA Weatherization Packet

Ohio Supreme Court Ruling regarding LIHTC effect on property valuations

PDF-Property Tax Valuation Memo (Woda Ruling)

Ohio Sales & Use Tax Information

PDF-Ohio Sales and Use Tax Info

Ohio Founding Fathers and Ohio Historical Documents

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, to celebrate the 237th anniversary of Independence Day, has founded a website to celebrate the great leaders of Ohio as well as another site to store Ohio’s historical documents such as Ohio’s Constitution. Below are the links to the press release, the Ohio Founding Fathers, and the Ohio Historical Documents.
Press Release
Ohio Founding Fathers
Ohio Historical Documents

Topics of Interest