Residential Wheelchair Lifts

If you own a residential property that you’re offering for rent, chances are you might find yourself having to install a residential wheelchair lift to better accommodate a disabled renter. Following the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, many developers are finding that wheelchair access is often a legal requirement in new buildings with multiple floors. With this and other wheelchair access laws being enacted, building owners and developers must address this issue on a more frequent basis to come into compliance with their local and national housing ordinances in regard to meeting the needs of the disabled.

What are Residential Wheelchair Lifts?

A residential wheelchair lift can be as simple as a vertical lift platform that can handle just one wheelchair, all the way up to an enclosed elevator installed in a bigger building that can safely transport up to 5 or 6 wheelchair clients at a time.

What are the Different Types of Residential Wheelchair Lifts?

In its simplest form, a residential wheelchair lift is a simple electrically-run platform installed on the exterior of a building which transports one passenger and their wheelchair from the ground level up to the entrance of a building which might otherwise have to be reached via stairs. It is usually installed at the end of an existing porch and includes a safety gate at the top and the bottom to prevent the chair from falling off during transport.

They are very easy to operate, easy to install and virtually maintenance free. Safety details like a non-slip platform, constant pressure switches, a low platform for easy roll-on/roll-off and a safety barrier and railing have been carefully designed into these lifts. This is most often used in existing buildings that are being refitted to take away accessibility barrier issues. The costs for these average around $5500 depending on your locality. There may be grants or other financial incentives available which can offset the costs of installation.

For multi-leveled buildings, there are similar residential wheelchair lifts available which can lift a wheelchair and passenger up to 14 feet into the air and can be installed next to a flight of stairs. It can move between the first and second floors and like its outdoor cousin comes with both an enclosed and unenclosed model. As for the model installed outdoors at the end of a porch, this type of wheelchair lift is used in existing buildings that are being refitted. Also easy to operate and install, these range in price between $5500 and $10000 depending on the brand.

At its most advanced, a residential wheelchair lift is either preplanned into the building or built at a later time into a structure and differs little from a regular elevator. It comes completely enclosed like a normal elevator and can be just big enough to transport a wheelchair, its rider and one other passenger. It has doors which must close completely in order for transportation to take place. Companies that provide these types of elevator usually have engineers on staff who can work with the developer, architect or other professional to ensure that the residential wheelchair lift is installed to meet local building and safety regulations. Starting at $10000, these lifts can cost in excess of $20000 adding in the construction costs.

While these may constitute a considerable outlay at first, residential wheelchair lifts can pay for themselves in opening a property to tenants who might not have been able to previously access your rental. They will also add property value to the structure and could well prove to be a major selling point when the time comes to resell the property.

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