Landlords and housing providers cannot deny you housing for discriminatory reasons. If you hear the following statements, it may be a sign of housing discrimination:
Landlord-tenant laws cover general rights and responsibilities of rental tenants and housing providers.
Fair housing laws protect you from discrimination and ensure that you are afforded an equal opportunity to rent the housing of your choice.
No. It is a violation of the law to inquire about the nature or extent of a person’s disability.
No. A landlord should not be making decisions about bedroom and sleeping arrangements.
If you request a reasonable accommodation, a landlord is required to allow you to have an assistance animal, as long as you have a disability and a need for the assistance animal. You may be required to provide documentation to verify this information. Assistance animals generally are not subject to “no pets” policies, pet fees or deposits, or restrictions on breed or size.
Basing housing decisions on stereotypes of members of protected classes is illegal. Landlords must judge each applicant based on his/her qualifications.
A landlord or housing provider must give truthful information to everyone who inquires about housing. It is illegal to give false or inconsistent information to potential renters.
It is illegal to suggest a preference for a particular type of tenant because of their membership in a protected class. This includes both advertising and statements made by employees or agents of the housing provider.
Housing providers may set income requirements, perform background or credit checks, or inquire about rental history, but these standards must be applied equally to all applicants. They may also prohibit behavior such as damaging property or harming other tenants.
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There are times when individuals question, did that just happen? When you have those moments, call The Fair Housing Center.
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Fair housing laws protect you from housing discrimination based on a protected class. Protected classes include race, color, national origin, sex, religion, familial status, disability, military status*, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income**, and immigration status**. Fair housing laws cover almost every aspect of the housing market, including applications, rentals, purchases, loans, and insurance for housing. The Fair Housing Center assists victims of housing discrimination.
* State Protection
** Local Protection
While The Fair Housing Center strives to make the information on this website as timely and accurate as possible, The Fair Housing Center makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of this site, and expressly disclaims liability for errors and omissions in the contents of this site. The information appearing on this website is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice to any individual or entity. We urge you to consult with an attorney before taking any action based on information appearing on this site or any site to which it may be linked.
