HUD Handbook 4350.3 § 2-33
Moving Tenants Who Require Special Features into Accessible Units (HUD Occupancy Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4)
Operative Text
A. If a member of a tenant household becomes disabled with an impairment that
requires special accessibility features and the tenant requests an accessible unit,
an owner may move that tenant into an accessible unit in lieu of making the
tenant’s existing unit accessible and usable. (See Chapter 4 for more
information.) However, if a tenant needs only minor modifications to his or her
unit, and does not need a fully accessible unit, the landlord should make the
modifications and leave the project’s fully accessible units available for tenants
who need such units.
B. If a member of a tenant household is a person who does not need specific
accessible features, but whose disability requires that they live on a particular
floor or location on the floor, the owner must move that tenant household to the
new unit. If such a unit is not available, the owner should assign the tenant to the
next available unit that meets the need of the tenant. This accommodation must
be based on the tenant’s disability-related need for the particular floor or location
on the floor, and not based on the tenant’s personal preferences.
Nondiscrimination and Promote Accessibility
C. **If a tenant household is being moved to a different unit as a reasonable
accommodation to a household member’s disability, then the owner must pay for
the move unless doing so would constitute an undue financial and administrative
burden.**
Example – When Owners Should Move Tenants to Accessible Units
The head of household’s grandmother, who is a member of the
household, cannot climb the two flights of stairs to the unit because she
has arthritis in her knees. The head of household requests that they be
moved to a unit on the ground floor. The owner must move the
household to the next available ground floor unit. If there are no ground
floor units of the correct bedroom size expected to be available within a
reasonable time (e.g., 30 days), the owner may make a unit available by
requiring a tenant in a ground floor unit who is overhoused or
underhoused to move to a unit within the project that is the correct size
for the household.HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 2-33 establishes rules for how federally assisted housing owners must respond when a tenant household member has a disability requiring a different or accessible unit. Depending on the nature of the disability-related need, the owner may relocate the household to an accessible unit, must relocate them to a unit on a specific floor or location, or must cover the cost of the move as a reasonable accommodation. The obligation to pay moving costs applies unless doing so would impose an undue financial and administrative burden on the owner.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 2-33, compliant operators distinguish between tenants who need a fully accessible unit and those who need only minor modifications, reserving fully accessible units for households with the greatest need. When a disability-related need requires a specific floor or location, owners document that the accommodation is tied to the medical or functional need rather than personal preference, and they assign the next available qualifying unit if none is immediately available. When a move qualifies as a reasonable accommodation, owners generally cover the cost of that relocation unless they can substantiate that doing so constitutes an undue financial and administrative burden.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
HUD Handbook 4350.3 REV-1 CHG-4 § 2-33 gives tenant households the right to request a unit transfer when a household member's disability creates a need for accessibility features or a specific floor or location, and the owner is generally required to cover the cost of that move as a reasonable accommodation. If an owner denies a transfer request or refuses to pay moving costs without demonstrating undue burden, tenants may have grounds to raise this as a fair housing concern. Tenant-rights organizations, HUD's fair housing complaint process, or a legal aid office can help households understand the options available under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 30, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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