What Are Protected Characteristics Under the Fair Housing Act?

When landlords rent out a home or apartment, they are allowed to have some standards. They can look for someone who makes a certain income or more, and they can also perform background checks and credit checks. What they cannot do is decide that they don’t want to rent to someone because of a specific characteristic, like their race or religion. There are protected characteristics under the Fair Housing Act, and if you think that a landlord is denying you housing based on one of these characteristics you should talk to a New York City tenants’ rights lawyer.

What Are Protected Characteristics Under the Fair Housing Act?

The Fair Housing Act singles out some specific protected characteristics. A landlord is not supposed to discriminate against a potential tenant based on any of the following:

• Race
• Color
• Religion
• National origin
• Sex, including gender identity and sexual orientation
• Familial status, like if you have children or are currently pregnant
• Disability

There are also state laws that protect people based on additional characteristics. Landlords cannot discriminate based on:

• Age
• Marital status
• Lawful source of income
• Military status

There are valid reasons to reject a potential tenant. None of the above can factor into the landlord’s reasoning.

What Can I Do If a Landlord Discriminates Against Any Protected Characteristics?

Denying housing is not the only potential sign of discrimination. A landlord could also be accused of discriminating based on protected characteristics if they:

• Will not negotiate for housing
• Lie and deny that housing is available for rent or sale
• Publish an advertisement that expresses any kind of preference for certain types of tenants
• Change qualification criteria based on any protected characteristics
• Try to evict a tenant unlawfully
• Delay needed repairs
• Bar a tenant or potential tenant from using certain amenities
• Harass a tenant repeatedly
• Blatantly try to discourage the purchase or rental of housing
• Refuse to provide reasonable accommodations for disabled tenants

It’s clear that housing discrimination comes in many different forms. If you suspect that someone is discriminating against you, you should talk to an attorney and be ready to file a complaint.

Do I Need an Attorney?

An attorney can help you file your complaint with the appropriate government agency. We can help you gather evidence and make a compelling case to the appropriate regulators. You can win damages if you can show that you were discriminated against. We can help you fight for a generous compensation offer.

Contact Our Law Firm Today

If you suspect that you have been discriminated against while trying to secure housing, contact Robert Rosenblatt & Associates. Our lawyers want to hear about what happened to you. If we think that you have a case, we can help you make things right and hold a discriminatory, law-breaking landlord accountable for their actions.