Getting a Bathroom Grab Bar Installed Should Be Easy, Right?
March 19, 2026
Falls are the leading cause of serious injuries for seniors, resulting in over 3 million emergency department visits and medical costs exceeding $50 billion each year. Getting grab bars installed should be a no-brainer, right, given that they are inexpensive and proven to reduce falls by up to 30%?
Unfortunately and cruelly, our clients often face an uphill battle getting landlords to agree to make this “minor” improvement. That’s where ALRP steps in.
“Samuel” – who is 70 – knew he needed grab bars installed in his shower and a raised toilet seat to avoid falling and badly injuring himself. He could not afford to install the bars himself and, even if he could, he did not want to risk losing the lease of his apartment where he had been living for 23 years by making an “unapproved repair.”
Samuel contacted San Francisco’s Community and Home Injury Prevention Program for Seniors (CHIPPS) for in-home risk assessment, and they agreed to pay a contractor for labor and materials at no cost to Samuel or his landlord. However, Samuel’s landlord refused to sign the required liability waiver for the contractors to perform this work. Despite several attempts by the CHIPPS program to address the landlord’s concerns, he still refused to move forward.
Kylah Stroh, Housing Paralegal
Jeff Dulgar, Director of Housing and Litigation
Samuel contacted ALRP and Housing Paralegal Kylah Stroh and Director of Housing and Litigation Jeff Dulgar worked to fix the situation. They were able to successfully negotiate with Samuel’s landlord and reach an agreement: The landlord would sign the liability waiver if Samuel increased his renter’s insurance policy for a year. This compromise not only assuaged the landlord’s concerns, but also provided additional protection to Samuel in case his belongings were damaged during the installation. Because Samuel could not afford the increased premium, Kylah reached out to PRC, which gratefully agreed to cover it for the year. With the new policy in hand, Samuel’s landlord finally signed the waiver, and Samuel was able get the grab bar installed.
While it obviously should not take this much time and effort to get a landlord to approve such a basic improvement for a senior tenant, we’re proud to be there when it does.
Samuel shared with us,
“I’m very happy to report I finally got the grab bars installed in the shower and a safer, raised toilet seat. I’m very pleased with the results. The installer was very professional, informative and competent. I feel much more secure with these daily necessities. Thanks again for all the help from ALRP.”