Disability is the one protected class that imposes affirmative duties on an HOA — not just a duty to avoid unequal treatment. There are two tools: a change to a rule (accommodation) and a change to the physical space (modification).
Accommodation vs. modification
Reasonable accommodation — § 3604(f)(3)(B): a change to a rule, policy, practice, or service, when needed for equal use and enjoyment of your home. Usually at no cost to you. Examples: an assistance animal despite a no-pets rule, an accessible parking space, waiving an architectural rule to allow a ramp.
Reasonable modification — § 3604(f)(3)(A): a physical change to the premises — a ramp, grab bars, a widened doorway, a lever door handle, a visual doorbell. Generally at the resident’s expense. For your own home’s interior, an HOA generally cannot force you to restore it later; changes to common areas raise more complex cost/restoration questions.
The interactive process
You do not need magic words or the HOA’s form — a plain written request is enough. The association must engage in a good-faith, interactive process, may ask only for information needed to evaluate the request, and must respond within a reasonable time. Ignoring a request, or dragging it out for weeks with no answer, can itself be a violation.
When an HOA may deny
An accommodation or modification may be denied only if it would be an undue financial or administrative burden, a fundamental alteration of the association’s operations, or (for a specific person or animal) a direct threat based on an individualized assessment of objective evidence. If a particular request is unreasonable, the HOA must explore an alternative that meets the need — a flat “no” is not compliance.