Please read on...

[mountainboo]

My Mother in-law owns a flat on a marina which she lets out. The tenant has recently had a stroke so my MIL wants to put in a hand rail in the communal hallway as the tenant has to walk up a flight of stairs. She has had numerous emails from the tenants and owners of the other flats who have been complaining and saying she shouldn't be allowed to do it as it will not look pleasant on the eyes.

I am appalled, surely this is discrimination? What can my MIL do as she has been reduced to tears by some of the emails. I am assuming she should seek legal advice.

[cassa333]

Contact the management company responsible for the buildings common areas and ask them.

No one wants their building looking cluttered or unpleasant so they are only doing what comes naturaly. After all if they all started putting their bits of crap up everywhere then the place would deteriate pretty quickly.

Anyway...

How old is the block of flats?

New build houses have to conform to building regulations regarding disabled access. So they might have to put a rail in to comply, you never know!

[mountainboo]

'Bits of crap' would make the building look untidy I agree, however this is for the benefit of someone who has recently had a stroke. Consequently she needs some form of support and a hand rail seems to be the only option available.

The flats are approximately 6 years old. They have most definately not been designed with disabled people in mind.

I will advise my MIL to contact her management company.

[cassa333]

Bits of crap was a generic term as your rail is a bit of crap to someone else regardless of it's use.

I would have thought that your mil would have to go through the management company anyway.

If they have to comply with building regs for the rail then it will probably cost 10 times as much as if your mil got the work done. But hay, the rest of the owners/tenants will have to contribute so in the long run she may be better of financialy.

[bednobs]

tbh i agree with the residents here. When it inside your own home, you can put whatever you need up to help you out. However, when there are communal areas (ie areas that are "owned" by other people as well as yourself) then they have to agree and if they wont they wont. The person is just a tennant and if living on a first floor is not suitable for them, they could move out, and find smewhere that suits their altered circumstances. If the person who was living there had lost both of their legs in a car accdent, would you MIL insist on fitting a lift? peoples circumstances change. if the person was pregnant with octuplets, would your mum insist on adding an extension to the side of the flats so the family could be accommodated? If the person was in council accommodation for example then they would apply to be moved somewhere more suitable, so this person should find somewhere that fits their circumstances.