‘ADA accommodation is a LEGAL requirement’: Landlord bafflingly refuses access to woman’s wheelchair, and the cops are on their side

We all know how selfish some landlords can be. TikTok is chock-full of horror stories involving shady landlords who don’t seem to care for their tenants, or are just plain greedy, but in this case it’s even worse.

Popular TikToker Peet Montzingo shared, Jen, his sister’s video to his page hoping to expose the shocking behavior of her landlord. While the video starts in the middle of the conflict it’s clear that there is some sort of major disagreement going on between the woman recording and another woman who it seems is the landlord.

The in-video caption reads, “My sister’s landlord locked her wheelchair in the garage and took away the key.” The sister can be heard asking how she’s supposed to get her wheelchair out to which the landlord responds telling her “this is not your house,” don’t you just love it when landlords feel the need to remind you that your home is not your own? 

Of course, Jen kind of needs her wheelchair to literally be able to go anywhere, it’s not a case of it just being inconvenient, it’s an absolute necessity. It’s even worse when you consider the fact that the property is supposed to be ADA (Amercians with Disabilities Act) compliant, meaning the accommodation is supposed to be adjusted for people with disabilities to operate easier. However, nothing about this is easy, if anything the landlord is making things more difficult for the tenant.

The police aren’t any help

Eventually, the cops arrive to assist but as Jen explains the situation it seems they’re just not understanding her issue. She tries telling them that the accommodation is supposed to be ADA and that her wheelchair is locked in the garage she has no access to but, unbelievably, the officers asked her why she was here when she wasn’t receiving the correct accommodation, like it’s somehow her fault the landlord has suddenly decided she won’t give her wheelchair back. 

And this is why it’s important that people are educated properly on disabilities and the law. In the comments viewers were shocked, not just by the landlord’s behavior, but the police’s response. One advised taking the matter to court, “ADA accommodation is a LEGAL requirement. She can hold the rental property accountable. Sue them and take the property.”

According to hud.gov landlords and public entities cannot refuse reasonable accommodations to rules and policies to give people with disabilities equal opportunities. Allowing Jen free access to the garage tostore her wheelchair sounds like a pretty reasonable request.

Whether the landlord is adhering to the ADA guidelines or not, she’s practically holding Jen’s wheelchair hostage, and yet the cops seem unable to do anything about it. Nobody seems able to offer any kind of help to Jen which is likely what prompted Peet Montzingo to share the terrible injustice on his TikTok. Hopefully she’s able to take the landlord to court and receive some sort of compensation, it sounds like it’ll be a challenge but sometimes tenants do win against the landlord.