The Fair Housing Act - Renters Rights

What is the Fair Housing Act?

The Fair Housing Act of the United States was expanded in 1968 from the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968. As per the Fair Housing Act, providers of housing like landlords, developers, real estate agents, and realtors cannot provide their properties on the basis of color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, and familial status. The main aim of the Fair Housing Act is to protect the interests of persons who are seeking housing without discrimination on the part of the landlords. According to the Fair Housing Act, all individuals who are seeking a house in the US would get the same kind of benefits and opportunities. In the US, the Fair Housing Act is also known as the Open Housing Act. Here’s a summary of the Fair Housing Act.

1. The act rules that it’s illegal to provide housing on the basis of sex. This helps to protect women from sexual harassment when they are trying to find a house with limited option.

2. The act prohibits all developers, real estate agents, and landlords to discriminate against any individual in terms of place of birth or place of origin.

3. The Fair Housing Act also prohibits all realtors to discriminate according to the familial status.

Recent Changes in Fair Housing Act

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the governing body responsible for upholding and implementing the Fair Housing Act. If any individual finds a violation of the Fair Housing Act, he or she can lodge a general complaint against the party who is responsible for the discrimination and actions would be taken by the HUD. After the establishment of the Fair Housing Act, it’s been found that some realtors still violated some regulations in the act. In response, the HUD decided to bring some modifications and changes in the act. In 2008, HUD brought some changes in accordance with George W. Bush, President of US at that time. The change in Fair Housing Act defines disability, which includes not only the persons having physical disability but also that the realtors cannot make any discrimination against a mentally challenged person. This also covers people who are having problems with drug addictions, alcoholism, and more. 

What Housing Is Covered?

The Fair Housing Act covers all kinds of buildings. In some cases, a building in which the owner resides, which is not bigger than four units is not affected by this act. Occasionally when a family rents out its house without involving brokerage services, it’s not affected by the Fair Housing Act. Another case in which the act is exempted involves a private club or religious bodies. These types of organization have the right to admit people into their buildings based on membership. Apart from these special cases, all other kinds of housings come under this act.

What Is Prohibited?

This act prohibits the following types of discrimination:

1. The refusal to rent or sell an apartment or a house on the grounds of race, color, religion or nationality.

2. A different treatment of a person in terms of rental or sale.

3. Viewing a rental or purchase with the object of discrimination on the basis of the above criteria.

4. Coercion, threat, intimidation or interference in the use of the rental and purchase rights, and action against persons or organizations that support the use of these rights.

When it comes to mortgaging, the following discriminations are prohibited:

  • Refusing to give mortgage loans
  • Refusing to give loan-related data
  • Imposing special rules and regulations on loans that are specific to certain races
  • Discriminating in the consideration of real estate or wealth
  • Refusing to buy loans

The Fair Housing Act makes sure that no form of discrimination affects people in any way and that every person gets a fair chance to secure housing. The basic tenets of the act were framed weeks before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so it’s influenced by his ideals.