We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
Q: You could get into fair housing trouble if you turn away prospects because they don’t speak English. True or false?
A: True. Fair housing experts warn that you should never refuse to show or rent housing just because of an applicant’s limited ability to speak, read, write, or understand English.
April is Fair Housing Month, the time of the year when the nation marks the passage of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark law passed shortly after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968. To mark the occasion, Fair Housing Coach gets back to basics with an overview of fair housing law.
Q: Your community must consider a request for an assistance animal even if the resident doesn’t appear to be disabled. True or false?
A: True. If the resident has a qualifying disability and has a disability-related need for the animal, then you must grant the resident’s reasonable request to make an exception to your pet policies so he can have an assistance animal.
Q: Do you have to allow residents to run a day care in rental property?
A: Depending on state law, the answer may be yes, according to a recent ruling by a court in California. Under California law, landlords generally must allow use of rental property as a “family day-care home” for six or fewer children, provided that notice is given to the property owner.
As your residents prepare for a diverse array of holiday celebrations in and around their homes, it’s important to remember fair housing laws that provide protections against religious discrimination. That’s the advice of the Illinois Department of Human Rights, which recently reminded Illinois renters and property owners that state law prohibits targeted, discriminatory restrictions on decorations and celebrations.
Q: Although your community has a policy of providing unassigned parking, an applicant says he wants an assigned parking space near to the building entrance because of a disability. He doesn’t use a cane or appear to have any difficulty walking, but you could trigger fair housing trouble if you ignore his request. True or false?
Q:When setting occupancy standards, communities may factor in any limitations of building systems—such as the load on water, septic, sewer, and electrical systems—along with other factors pertinent to the size and configuration of the units. True or false?
Q:Your office staff is shorthanded, so you hire a new employee to answer the phones. Since she has prior experience working in a leasing office, you should let her get to work immediately. True or false?
A:False. Make sure that new hires get at least some basic fair housing training—before allowing them to answer the phone or interact with the public.
Q:Our community has conducted criminal background checks for years, but we’ve been hearing about new HUD rules restricting our ability to screen residents based on their criminal history. What do the rules say—and how quickly should we act to avoid fair housing trouble based on our criminal screening policy?
RSS