Accessibility is an important feature for vacation rentals, especially in unique environments like the beach, where navigation is more difficult. The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures people with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else when buying or renting a building — including hotels, resorts and vacation homes.

Is your beach vacation home ADA-compliant? If not, you should take steps to make it welcoming for all. Here are some updates you can add to make the house accessible and draw more customers.

1. Start With Exterior Upgrades

Your vacation home’s exterior is a good place to begin making handicap-friendly upgrades. After all, people with disabilities can’t enjoy their stay if they can’t get inside. For starters, doorways must be at least 32 inches wide to accommodate those with wheelchairs and crutches. Here are some other must-have features to improve your vacation home’s exterior accessibility:

Wheelchair ramps with grab bars
Curb cuts
Signage for blind and deaf patrons
Flat, paved driveway and sidewalks
Handicap-designated parking spaces closest to the entrance

Some states also have unique ADA guidelines for doors, ramps and railings. For example, California requires ramps to be at least 48 inches wide and landing areas to be 60 inches wide. All walking surfaces must also consist of stable, hardened materials. That means gravel, sand, tanbark and other loose materials are off the table.

2. Open up the Floor Plan

Getting around a cluttered house is extremely difficult for people with disabilities. You must open up your vacation home’s floor plan to help guests move around and perform routine tasks. Start by spreading out the furniture and establishing clear walking paths. Knocking down a few walls might be necessary to maximize interior accessibility.

One way to make furniture rearrangements much simpler is to buy lightweight chairs and tables that guests can easily move around. Disabilities come in many forms, so your vacation home must have flexible seating options.

The ADA recommends many interior upgrades to remove barriers and improve indoor handicap accessibility. These upgrades will have the greatest impact on the guest experience:

Grab bars for showers, bathtubs and toilet seats
Roll-under sinks
Raised toilets
Full-length mirrors
Firm nonslip flooring materials
Cabinets, shelves and landline telephones with low heights

Remember to take pictures of these features and highlight them in your listing’s photo gallery. Potential guests with disabilities should have full assurance that the building is ADA-compliant. They will see the photographic evidence and be more likely to choose your rental over competitors.

3. Brighten up the Property

Visibility is a crucial element of handicap accessibility. You need to brighten up the property and ensure people with sight or walking disabilities can safely move around. Start by maximizing the presence of natural light with features like skylights and window walls. The interior will be bright and inviting throughout the day.

Floodlights are great additions to your vacation rental’s exterior. They are highly effective at illuminating large areas like parking lots and backyards. Bollard or pathway lights are valuable additions that brighten sidewalks and ramps. They are low-voltage, so you can leave them on all night with little energy expenditure.

All your lighting additions should include LED lightbulbs. They use up to 90% less energy and last 25 times longer. You can cut back on your vacation home’s utility bills and make it more accessible at the same time.

4. Provide Outdoor Activities

Not all beaches are accessible. Some have boardwalks, sidewalks and specially designed sand wheelchairs, but it’s still difficult for people with disabilities to get around. That’s why you should provide plenty of outdoor activities at your vacation home. Guests that can’t go to the beach deserve other attractions.

Many beach houses have outdoor recreation areas such as pools, hot tubs, basketball courts, pool tables and grilling areas. The ocean should be just one aspect of the guest experience.

5. Allow Service Animals

You should institute a policy that lets disabled individuals bring their service animals. The ADA only recognizes dogs as service animals, so you don’t have to allow obscure creatures like snakes and lizards if you don’t want to. Service dogs serve various important roles, including mobility assistance, seizure alerts and allergy detection.

This policy will also help you accommodate people with mental or psychological disabilities — not just physical ones. According to a collection of surveys, an estimated 500,000 people use service dogs in the United States alone. You can open your vacation home many more potential guests simply by allowing them.

Make Your Beach Rental Accessible to All

Your vacation home is in a prime location near the beach, but location isn’t everything. Accessibility is another make-or-break factor when people are browsing online rental listings. Following ADA guidelines can help you make your beach rental accessible to all guests, regardless of disabilities, so everyone can have an enjoyable experience.