Before Dad signs for a new unit, the lease decides what you can change and who can walk in. Most of the trouble shows up later, when a rail, a ramp, or a grab bar has gone up without permission and the landlord wants it removed at move-out. Read three things before anyone signs: modification rights, restoration, and entry. Ask for the full lease and every addendum, because a rules sheet attached later can change the answer.
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Modification Rights
Find the clause on alterations and fixtures. Check whether the landlord allows anything to be attached to walls, floors, doors, or the bathroom, whether permission must be in writing, and whether there is a fee or a form. If you plan to mount rails, a ramp, or grab bars, ask in writing what is allowed and what must be restored. A verbal yes is not something you can rely on later.
Restoration at Move-Out
Look for the paragraph that says what the unit must be returned to. Some leases require removal of fixtures and patching of holes, and some charge for that work by the hour or as a flat fee. Ask who does the patching and whether it comes out of the deposit. Ask for a written, signed list of the unit's condition on move-in day, with photos if the landlord will accept them.
Entry and Emergency Contacts
Check how much notice the landlord must give before entering, whether emergency entry is allowed without notice, and who the building lists as the emergency contact. Ask whether a second adult can be added as a contact and what paperwork that requires. Ask whether the building has staff on site and what hours they keep, since that changes who answers a problem at night.
Access Inside and Out
Before you sign, measure the entry doorway, the bathroom door, and the path from the bed to the bath. Check for a step at the unit entry and, if the unit is above ground level, ask whether the elevator works and how often it is out of service and who to call when it is. Write the answers down next to the lease so they are in the same place when you compare units.
When a Clause Is Unclear
If a clause is unclear, take the lease to a person you trust to read contracts before anything is signed. Use the St. Louis listings on Local Help in St. Louis to find who handles housing questions in the area.
Next move: request the full lease, every addendum, and the written alteration policy from the landlord this week, and mark the modification, restoration, and entry clauses before anyone signs.