Many people are unaware of the dramatic history of the Fair Housing Act. It was debated for years in Congress before it was finally passed in 1968.
These days, all property managers need to be familiar with the Fair Housing Act. It is much better to spend a little extra time learning about it than to accidentally make a mistake and violate it.
So how can you make sure you are following the Fair Housing Act? Read on to learn all about the basics of the Fair Housing Act!
What Are the Protected Classes of the Fair Housing Act?
Part of real estate investing is knowing about the legal requirements as well as how to find the best homes for rent. The Fair Housing Act lays out a number of protected classes that every real estate investor needs to know about.
According to the Fair Housing Act, when it comes to leasing management, your tenant screening cannot base any decisions off of the race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin of a prospective tenant.
It is also important to keep these rules in mind when it comes to property marketing. You should not indicate anything in your marketing materials that suggest that you will take any of these factors into account.
Rules to Follow During Tenant Screening
Of course, there is more to know about the fair housing rules of rental leasing than that. There are a number of interview questions that you will need to avoid during tenant screening.
For example, you should not ask about pregnancy status or number of children that someone has.
In some cases, landlords ask questions that are not technically against the rules, but which may make some people suspicious. Asking about the country someone is from can make them think you intended to discriminate on the basis of national origin. You might also run into trouble asking if someone has ever been arrested.
Rules About Service Animals
Part of protecting disability status is protecting service animals. Fees are allowed for pets but not for service animals. That applies independently of the size or type of animal.
Make Sure Everyone Involved in Property Management Knows the Rules
Make sure everyone involved in leasing management those these rules. Just because you know about them doesn't mean that others will not make accidental errors.
Know Everything That Property Managers Should About Equal Housing
We hope that you were able to take away something helpful from this brief article on a few of the most important things that property managers should know about Equal Housing laws.
At first, it can seem like a lot of work to learn everything you need to know about Equal Housing. However, spending a little extra time to learn about it will pay off in the long run. You will actually save time compared to what you will end up doing if you make a mistake that you will have to correct.
To learn more about equal housing and property management, feel free to reach out and get in touch with us here at any time!