24 CFR Part 100—Supplement to Notice of Fair Housing Accessibility Guidelines: Questions and Answers about the Guidelines

1. Townhouses

1.1 Q. Are townhouses in non-elevator buildings which have individual exterior entrances required to be accessible?

A. Yes, if they are single-story townhouses. If they are multistory townhouses, accessibility is not required. (See the discussion of townhouses in the preamble to the Guidelines under Section 2--Definitions [Covered Multifamily Dwellings] at 56 FR 9481, March 6, 1991, or 24 CFR Ch. I, Subch. A, App. III.)

1.2 Q. Does the Fair Housing Act cover four one-story dwelling units that share common walls and have individual entrances?

A. Yes. The Fair Housing Act applies to all units in buildings consisting of four or more dwelling units if such buildings have one or more elevators; and ground floor dwelling units in other buildings consisting of four or more dwelling units. This would include one-story homes, sometimes called single-story townhouses, villas, or patio apartments, regardless of ownership, even though such homes may not be considered multifamily dwellings under various building codes.

1.3 Q. What if the single-story dwelling units are separated by firewalls?

A. The Fair Housing Act would still apply. The Guidelines define covered multifamily dwellings to include buildings having four or more units within a single structure separated by firewalls.