Fair Housing: Compliance Checklist

If you answer “no” to any of the questions below, evaluate the impact of those responses on your fair housing responsibilities and adjust your office practices accordingly

• Do you have a written fair housing policy?
  
  
• Do you publicize your commitment to fair housing in your office, in your advertising, and to sellers and buyers?
  
  
• Is fair housing training required in your company?
  
  
• Have you developed procedures to provide equal professional service?
  
  
• Do you review your offices' compliance with your procedures on a regular basis?
  
  
• Do you have a corrective action policy?
  
  
• Do you regularly review and modify your procedures to respond to changes in the law or new fair housing issues and to correct deficiencies in your office?
  
  
• Do you have a mechanism for feedback from customers and prospects?

Create Your Fair Housing Policy Statement

Give every prospective seller and buyer a copy of your fair housing policy statement. The statement should say unequivocally that you support all applicable laws, and state specifically what the provisions of those laws are. For example:

“This company conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local fair housing laws. It is our policy to provide housing opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, handicap, or national origin. The company's fair housing procedures are not recommendations. They must be followed by everyone associated with the company.”

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