Currently, no AODA standards require houses and apartments to be accessible. However, the Third Review of the AODA recommends the creation of standards mandating accessibility in housing. AODA standards in housing could require AODA training for landlords and other workers in the housing industry.
AODA Training for Landlords and Other Workers in the Housing Industry
Like other business people, housing providers in the public or private sectors must have basic AODA customer service training. For instance, managers or superintendents of apartment buildings or housing complexes must have AODA training. Likewise, if boards of directors manage condominium corporations, members of these boards should have AODA training. Similarly, housekeeping staff, or other workers who care for common areas of buildings or complexes, should have AODA training.
However, landlords who do business independently, without any employees, may not receive such training. In addition, the Third Review of the AODA states that current AODA training requirements need improvement. For instance, Current training requirements allow providers to train workers using various formats, including:
- Interactive workshops
- Classroom settings
- Online courses
- handouts
On one hand, these options allow businesses to create training that relates AODA principles to activities in their organizations. For instance, restaurants may offer training on communicating that may include reading menus aloud or taking orders in writing. On the other hand, businesses are not required to develop training modules that show workers how to serve clients with disabilities within specific industries. Instead, modules more often take a “one-size-fits-all” approach. This general approach does not help trainees respond to situations in their workplaces involving customers with disabilities.
Training Topics for Landlords and Housing Staff
Therefore, workers in the housing industry may not receive training that helps them respond to situations specific to housing. For instance, workers may learn that they must welcome people with service animals in places open to the public. However, staff may think that, since private housing is not a public place, a building or complex that excludes pets can also exclude service animals.
On the contrary, the service animals of tenants are allowed to live with them in their houses or apartments. Therefore, if a landlord refuses a potential tenant, on the basis of their use of a service animal, the landlord is discriminating. When workers in the housing industry have thorough training about how the AODA applies to the process of renting homes, they will have the knowledge they need to obey the law and treat tenants fairly.