What the Fair Housing Act Says You Can’t Do

The Fair Housing Act and other federal fair housing laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, handicap, and national origin. That means that you are specifically prohibited from the following practices if based on any of the protected classes:

• Refusing to sell or rent housing after a bona fide offer is made, or refusing to negotiate to sell or rent, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any person.
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• Discriminating against any person with respect to terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling, or with respect to the provision of services or facilities in connection with the sale or rental of property.
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• Setting different terms, conditions, or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling, or with respect to the provision of services or facilities in connection with the sale or rental.
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• Falsely denying that housing is available for inspection, sale, or rental.
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• Persuading owners to sell or rent for profit, because of changes in neighborhood composition (blockbusting or panic selling).
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• Denying anyone access to or membership in a facility or service related to the sale or rental of housing.
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• Advertising or making a statement that indicates a limitation or preference connected with the sale or rental of housing.
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• Guiding or steering” the buyer in a certain direction. For example, a real estate practitioner may make the decision to show homes in certain neighborhoods where the race or ethnicity matches the race or ethnicity of the buyer.
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• Selectively using publications, human models, geographic advertisements (as in the location of billboards or distribution of brochures), and equal opportunity slogans and logos in advertisements.
  
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