Building accessibility into Ontario's rental market

A new partnership is providing much-needed housing relief to an often-overlooked demographic.

Across Ontario, more than 52,000 people living with a developmental disability are on wait lists for critical services, including affordable and accessible housing.

In Brampton, the Daniels Corporation Inc. and Choice Properties have teamed up with non-profits Mary Centre and Kerry’s Place to deliver six below-market, purpose-built rental units that can accommodate adults with developmental disabilities. These units feature roll-in showers, roll-out balconies, wider turning spaces, and lowered concierge desks.

Property managers aren’t often in a position to build new units, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing they can do to bridge the accessibility gap.

On the Colliers Talks podcast, Senior Property Manager Erin O’Hearn recommended starting with the “low-hanging fruit”: installing handrails, adding braille signage, and replacing sharp-edged countertops with rounded ones.

She then encourages property managers to think beyond the obvious: “All of us know you have to have accessible parking spaces. But have you also created a safe pathway from those spaces into your building?”

For bigger-ticket upgrades, O’Hearn recommends folding them into 5- and 10-year plans – an approach that has worked well in her conversations with her landlords.

In the same discussion, Matthew Shaw, Head of Accessible Practice at the Rick Hansen Foundation, advises focusing on customer-facing areas:

• Can tenants complete transactions from a seated position?

• Is furniture arranged so walkers or wheelchairs can pass through easily?

• Are staff trained to interact confidently with people with disabilities?

Making rentals more accessible opens your doors to a wider market, including the tens of thousands on wait lists for suitable housing. And as O’Hearn and Shaw both note, an inclusive environment doesn’t just attract these renters, it fosters long-term loyalty from them, which means steadier revenue and fewer vacancies for you.

Beyond the bottom line, more accessible housing helps property managers and landlords create communities where everyone has the chance to live comfortably and independently.

More renter behaviour headlines

Ontario faces rising heat & pressure on tenant cooling rights – PayProp blog

‘Matchmaking’ service launched for students who need affordable rental housing – INsauga

Ontario renters on the move – what property managers can do – PayProp blog