Who Pays for a Wheelchair Ramp in a Condo? Temporary and Permanent Ramps

The Short Answer

Usually no. The condo association must allow a reasonable wheelchair ramp, but the person who needs it pays to build it, whether the ramp is temporary or permanent. Federal law calls a ramp a “reasonable modification,” and the Fair Housing Act requires an association to permit one “at the expense of the handicapped person” (42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(A)).

The federal agencies say this directly. In their Joint Statement on Reasonable Modifications (March 5, 2008), HUD and the Justice Department list “adding a ramp to make a primary entrance accessible for persons in wheelchairs” as a typical reasonable modification (Question 2). Their answer to who pays: the provider “must permit the modification,” and the resident pays for it (Question 3). They also give this example: a resident who wants “to install a ramp outside the building in a common area” must be allowed to, “at the tenant’s expense” (Question 9, Example 3). They add that “courts have applied the Act to” groups “including… homeowners and condominium associations” (Question 8).

Modification or Accommodation: Why It Matters for Cost

• A reasonable modification is “a structural change made to the premises.” The resident pays (Joint Statement, Question 9). A ramp that is built, bolted or poured is a modification.
• A reasonable accommodation is “a change, exception, or adjustment to a rule, policy, practice, or service.” The housing provider pays, “unless it is an undue financial and administrative burden” (Question 9; 42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(B)).

This matters for a temporary ramp. If you buy a portable ramp and just need the board to waive a rule (for example, a ban on leaving items on walkways or in hallways), you are asking for an accommodation, and it costs the association nothing to grant it. If the ramp must be fixed to the building or the walkway must be regraded, it is a modification, and you pay.

When the Association Does Pay

1. Federally assisted housing. Housing that receives federal financial assistance is also covered by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. There, structural changes count as accommodations and “must be paid for by the housing provider unless providing them would be an undue financial and administrative burden or a fundamental alteration of the program or unless the housing provider can accommodate the individual’s needs through other means” (Joint Statement, Question 31). Ask the manager whether your association receives any.

2. A building that should already have been accessible. Buildings with 4 or more units first occupied after March 13, 1991 had to be designed so “the public use and common use portions” are accessible and with “an accessible route into and through the dwelling” (in elevator buildings, all units; otherwise, ground floor units) (42 U.S.C. 3604(f)(3)(C) and (f)(7)). For a covered unit, “all costs associated with incorporating the features required by the Act are borne by the builder” (Question 30). For rentals, HUD says that if a missing feature “should have been included,” the housing provider “may be responsible for providing and paying for” it (Question 12). But an accessible entrance is not required where “impractical” because of “the terrain or unusual characteristics of the site” (24 CFR 100.205(a)). And lawsuits have a 2-year limit (42 U.S.C. 3613(a)(1)(A)). Get advice early.

3. The board wants something fancier. If the association wants more costly materials for looks, or workmanship beyond local code, “the tenant must agree only if the housing provider pays those additional costs” (Question 20).

4. Upkeep of a shared ramp. “If a modification is made to a common area that is normally maintained by the housing provider, then the housing provider is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance.” HUD’s example: a ramp in a lobby used by others. The same rule covers snow removal if the provider normally clears the common areas (Question 13).

5. Your documents or the board say so. Nothing in federal law stops an association from choosing to pay. Ask.

What the Association Can and Cannot Require

Under the Joint Statement, the association can ask for:

• A description of the ramp before you build it, building permits, and work “performed in a workmanlike manner” (Question 21).
• Disability information only if your disability or the need for the ramp is not obvious. If both are obvious, it “may not request any additional information” (Questions 6 and 7).
• Its own design, if the ramp is in a common area and the design “imposes no additional costs and still meets the tenant’s needs” (Question 19).

The association cannot:

• Make you buy special liability insurance as a condition of approval. HUD’s example is a ramp (Question 22).
• Insist on its own contractor (Question 23).
• Under the Fair Housing Act alone, make you move to another unit instead (Question 18).
• Routinely require an escrow or deposit as a condition (Questions 21 and 28).
• Sit on the request. “An undue delay in responding… may be deemed a failure to permit a reasonable modification” (Question 17).

What State Law Adds

State law can add rules on top of the federal floor. Check your state’s condo law page.

California. A member may modify the separate interest “at the member’s expense” for access, including “the route from the public way to the door” if the unit is on the ground floor or already reached by a ramp or elevator. Exterior changes must not block other residents and “shall be removed by the member” when no one who needs them lives there. You must submit plans, and the association “shall not deny approval… without good cause” (Civ. Code 4760(a)(2)). See California condo law.

Michigan. A co-owner may modify common elements and the route from the public way “at his or her expense,” even if the condo documents prohibit it. The association must decide within 60 days, or you may build without approval. Michigan requires liability insurance naming the association for an exterior ramp, which HUD’s guidance would not allow; ask a lawyer if this comes up. The association pays upkeep only up to what it already spent on the common elements the ramp covers. You must give the association written notice at least 30 days before a sale or lease. It may then require removal at your cost, unless the next occupant needs the ramp or you return within 12 months (MCL 559.147a). See Michigan condo law.

Massachusetts. State law makes the “owner” of publicly assisted housing and of buildings with 10 or more units pay for reasonable modifications, including “ramping a front entrance of five or fewer vertical steps.” The owner is not required to pay “for ramping a front entrance of more than five steps or for installing a wheelchair lift” (G.L. c. 151B, sec. 4(7A)). But in 2024 the Appeals Court held that a condo association is not that owner: the unit owners “own their units individually and the common areas jointly,” and the association only manages them. It rejected an owner’s claim that her association had to pay for steps to her patio (Geezil v. White Cliffs Condominium Four Association, 105 Mass. App. Ct. 103). See Massachusetts condo law.

New York. Owners must allow reasonable modifications “at the expense of a person with a disability” (N.Y. Exec. Law 296(18)(1)). But the duty to make reasonable accommodations includes “reasonable modification to common use portions of the dwelling,” and that paragraph does not put the cost on the person with the disability (296(18)(2)). So a common-area ramp may be the owner’s cost. How this applies to condo boards is unsettled; ask a lawyer.

How to Get a Ramp Approved

1. Choose the ramp first. Measure the rise and decide between a portable ramp (rule exception only) and an installed one (a modification). This decides who pays.
2. Ask in writing. Say that you or someone in your household has a disability (if not obvious), what ramp you want, where it goes, and why you need it. Attach a drawing or product sheet, your contractor’s name and the permit plan. Oral requests count, but HUD says writing helps both sides (Question 15).
3. Ask who maintains and removes it. Get the answers in writing.
4. Check the building’s age, funding and state. If it was first occupied after March 13, 1991, ask whether the entrance met the federal design rules, and talk to a fair housing agency. If it gets federal assistance, or you are in a state like New York, ask the board to pay.
5. Follow up on delay or denial. Use our board approval process and repair dispute process. You can file a complaint with HUD within one year (42 U.S.C. 3610) or sue within two years (42 U.S.C. 3613). HUD’s intake line is 1-800-669-9777 (HUD).

For who maintains a patio or entry walk that serves only your unit, see limited common elements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a condominium ownership group responsible for paying the cost to install a temporary wheelchair ramp?

Usually not. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, the condo association must allow a reasonable ramp, including on common elements, but the person with the disability pays to install it. The association may have to pay if it receives federal financial assistance, in some states such as New York, or for any extra cost of a design it insists on. If the building was first occupied after March 13, 1991 and lacks an accessible entrance the law required, the builder (and sometimes the association) may be responsible. Site exceptions and short deadlines apply; get advice.

Can my HOA or condo board deny a wheelchair ramp?

Not if the request is reasonable and linked to a disability. It can ask for a description, permits and workmanlike work, and for disability information if the need is not obvious. It cannot require special liability insurance, insist on its own contractor, make you move units, or delay without reason. A denial can be reported to HUD within one year.

Who maintains a wheelchair ramp on condo common property?

Under HUD and Justice Department guidance, the association maintains a ramp in a common area it normally maintains, including snow removal if it clears the other common areas. You maintain a ramp used only by you in an area the association does not maintain. Michigan law caps the association's share at what it already spent on the common elements the ramp covers.

Do I have to remove my wheelchair ramp when I sell my condo?

Federal guidance says a housing provider may require restoration only of interior changes, and ramps to the front door are not required to be restored (HUD and Justice Department Joint Statement, Question 26). State law can. California requires removal of exterior changes when no one who needs them lives there, and Michigan lets the association require removal on sale or lease, unless the next occupant needs it.

Does the condo association have to pay for a ramp in Massachusetts?

Usually not. Massachusetts makes the owner of a building with 10 or more units pay for some modifications, but in Geezil v. White Cliffs Condominium Four Association (2024), the Appeals Court held that a condo association is not that owner, because the unit owners own the common areas jointly.

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Important Disclaimer: This article describes common patterns and quotes federal and state law as of November 2026. It is general educational information, not legal advice. Every declaration is different, and state law varies. Always read your own governing documents, and talk to your association’s manager, a fair housing agency, or a qualified community association attorney about your situation.

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