Many modern building codes incorporate accessibility requirements that parallel or even exceed the requirements of the FHA and ADA. In fact, the regulations implementing the accessibility provisions of the Fair Housing Act identify as safe harbors the provisions of several versions of the International Building Code. It is hardly surprising then that property owners and contractors believe that getting a certificate of occupancy means the building complies with the FHA or ADA. Nonetheless, getting a C.O. is no guarantee of compliance with the law and no proof against litigation. The reasons are largely practical, but there is a legal dimension as well when it comes to placing the blame for a failure to comply. More