Housing Discrimination

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The Fair Housing Act protects you from discrimination when securing housing. This Act also prohibits discrimination when you try to secure a loan or insurance. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) within the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) enforces this law.

When trying to buy or rent a home/apartment it is illegal for a real estate agency or a landlord to treat you differently based on your race, color, national origin, sex/gender, disability, age, religion/creed, sexual orientation, retaliation, or familial status.

  • Race, Color, and National Origin: Everyone belongs to a certain group of people based on physical and cultural characteristics. You cannot be treated differently when trying to secure a home because of the group you belong to, the color of your skin, the language you speak, or where you (or your ancestors) were born.
  • Sex/Gender: You cannot be treated differently when buying a home, or applying for a home loan, insurance, or an apartment because you are a male or a female.
  • Disability: Discrimination in housing based on mental or physical disability is illegal. Also, a property owner is required to make reasonable changes to a property in order for it to be inhabitable by a person with a disability. For example, they must put in bathroom bars or inclined ramps. 
  • Age: As long as you are over the age of 18 you cannot be treated differently because of your age.
  • Religion/Creed: You have the freedom to believe in and worship whatever and wherever you wish. However, if the company you are trying to secure housing from is owned (even partially) by a religious organization they are allowed to treat people differently based on religion.
  • Sexual Orientation: You may choose any partner (male or female) that you wish and cannot be treated differently because of it. This also prohibits discrimination based on your gender identity. However, if the company you are trying to secure housing from is owned (even partially) by a religious organization they have the right to treat you differently based on your sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • Retaliation: It is illegal to treat you differently because you filed a complaint of discrimination or participated in a discrimination case in the past.
  • Familial Status: It is illegal to deny housing only because the applicant has children under the age of 18 or if the applicant is pregnant.

What is housing discrimination?

  • You are in a wheelchair and your landlord refuses to make your doors wide enough for your chair to fit through.
  • A landlord tells you that an apartment is unavailable after finding out you have three children, although it is still available for a family the next day.

What is not housing discrimination?

  • Refusing to rent or sell a home to you based on your poor credit score. 
  • Refusing to rent to your family of five because the apartment has a maximum occupancy of four. 
  • Refusing to rent to a person who is on Section 8 housing: A landlord has the right to refuse Section 8.
  • A personal homeowner renting part of their home to only a male or only a female.