|
Quick Answers...Legal Issues |
How do I know if a landlord, management company, or public housing authority has discriminated against me?
The Federal Fair Housing Act prevents landlords from
discriminating against tenants based on certain group
characteristics, including:
- Race, ethnic background or national origin
- Gender
- Religious affiliation or belief
- Familial status, including whether you have children
or are pregnant (except in designated senior housing)
- Mental or physical disability
Examples of housing discrimination based on the protected
categories above include:
- Advertising with a statement that indicates a
preference based on a group characteristic (e.g., skin
color, gender, disability status)
- Lying about a rental unit's availability to avoid
renting to someone in one of the protected groups
- Terminating a lease agreement with a tenant for a
discriminatory reason
- Refusing to rent to members of certain groups (e.g.,
single parents, specific faith groups)
- Unwillingness of the landlord to reasonably
accommodate needs of disabled tenants or renters
- Charging more rent or setting different standards,
such as higher income, for certain tenants
- Enforcing policies inconsistently, based on
membership in one of the protected groups.
If you think a landlord has broken a federal fair housing
law, contact a local office of the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the agency which
enforces the Fair Housing Act.
To get a housing discrimination complaint form and
instructions for filing it, see Are You a Victim of Housing
Discrimination?
If you would prefer not to file a complaint with HUD, you may file a lawsuit directly in federal or state court.
Brenda Procter, M.S., State Specialist &
Instructor
Personal Financial Planning, University of
Missouri-Extension
Can't Find Your Question Here? Try Searching Our Quick Answer Knowledge Base
Last update: Wednesday, April 19, 2006
 |
Site Administrator: |
|
|
|