What types of housing discrimination are illegal?
The federal Fair Housing Act and Fair Housing Amendments Act (42 U.S. Code 3601-3619, 3631) prohibit landlords from choosing tenants on the basis of a group characteristic such as: 1. Race 2. Religion 3. Ethnic background or national origin 4. Sex 5. Age 6. The fact that the prospective tenant has children (except in certain designated senior housing), or 7. A mental or physical disability. In addition, some state and local laws prohibit discrimination based on a person’s marital status or sexual orientation. On the other hand, landlords are allowed to select tenants using criteria that are based on valid business reasons, such as requiring a minimum income or positive references from previous landlords, as long as these standards are applied equally to all tenants.