Fair Housing Laws Flashcards

Under the Fair Housing Act, 'familial status' is defined as:

Answer: A household with one or more children under 18 living with a parent or legal guardian

Familial status protects households with one or more children under 18 living with a parent, legal guardian, or designee, as well as pregnant women.

A tenant with a disability asks a landlord to allow installation of a grab bar in the bathroom. This is an example of:

Answer: A reasonable modification

A reasonable modification is a physical change to the premises; a reasonable accommodation is a change in rules, policies, or practices—the grab bar is a physical alteration.

Under the Fair Housing Act, which type of senior housing community may legally restrict occupancy to persons 62 or older?

Answer: A community where all residents are 62 or older

One exemption from the familial status prohibition applies to housing where all residents are 62 or older; a separate exemption applies where 80% of occupied units have at least one person age 55 or older.

A landlord has a 'no pets' policy. A tenant with a documented disability requests permission to keep an emotional support animal. The landlord should:

Answer: Grant the request as a reasonable accommodation unless it causes undue hardship

Under fair housing law, landlords must provide reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities, including waiving a no-pets policy to allow emotional support animals.

Which of the following real estate advertising practices violates fair housing laws?

Answer: Using photographs that exclusively depict people of one race

Fair housing law prohibits advertising that indicates a preference or limitation based on race or other protected classes, including the exclusive use of images depicting only one racial group.

The 'disparate impact' theory in fair housing law refers to:

Answer: A facially neutral policy that has a disproportionately negative effect on a protected class

Disparate impact occurs when a policy that appears neutral on its face disproportionately and unjustifiably harms members of a protected class, even without discriminatory intent.

Under the federal Fair Housing Act, which of the following is a valid exemption?

Answer: A private club not operated for commercial purposes may limit housing to its members

The Fair Housing Act allows private, non-commercial clubs to give preference to their own members in the rental of housing owned for non-commercial purposes.