Free Wisconsin Real Estate License Wisconsin Fair Housing Laws Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A landlord in Wisconsin receives two applications for a vacant apartment. Applicant A has a steady income from a full-time job. Applicant B has a lower income from part-time work but receives a government housing voucher that covers the majority of the rent, making their total financial resources sufficient. If the landlord rejects Applicant B solely because their income is from a housing voucher, what is the landlord's action considered under Wisconsin Fair Housing Law?
- A legal business decision based on the source of funds.
- Illegal discrimination based on lawful source of income. (Correct answer)
- Legal, as long as the landlord doesn't accept any government assistance.
- Illegal only if the landlord has more than four rental units.
Correct answer: Illegal discrimination based on lawful source of income.
Wisconsin's Fair Housing Law (Wis. Stat. § 106.50) explicitly includes 'lawful source of income' as a protected class. This protection covers income from sources like public assistance, social security, and housing vouchers. Refusing to rent to an applicant because they use a housing voucher is a direct violation of this provision.
Question 2: Which of the following is a protected class under Wisconsin's Fair Housing Law but is NOT explicitly a protected class under the Federal Fair Housing Act?
- Race
- Familial Status
- Marital Status (Correct answer)
- Disability
Correct answer: Marital Status
Wisconsin law provides broader protections than the federal Fair Housing Act. Among the choices, Marital Status is a protected class in Wisconsin but not at the federal level. Race, Familial Status, and Disability are protected under both state and federal laws.
Question 3: A real estate agent is showing homes to a minority couple. The agent avoids showing them properties in a predominantly white, affluent suburb, assuming they would not be comfortable or could not afford it, despite the couple being financially qualified for that area. Instead, the agent focuses only on homes in more diverse neighborhoods. This practice is an illegal example of:
- Redlining
- Blockbusting
- Appraising
- Steering (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Steering
Steering is the illegal practice of guiding prospective homebuyers toward or away from certain neighborhoods based on their protected class, such as race or national origin. By limiting the couple's housing choices based on race, the agent is engaging in steering, which violates fair housing laws.
Question 4: A tenant with a disability requests permission from their landlord to install grab bars in the apartment's bathroom. The tenant has agreed to pay for the installation. According to Wisconsin Fair Housing Law, the landlord must:
- allow the modification at the tenant's expense. (Correct answer)
- pay for the modification as a required accommodation.
- deny the request as it alters the property's structure.
- allow the modification only if the tenant pays an additional security deposit.
Correct answer: allow the modification at the tenant's expense.
Under both state and federal fair housing laws, a landlord must permit a tenant with a disability to make reasonable modifications to the premises at the tenant's expense if the modifications are necessary for the person to fully use and enjoy the housing. The landlord can require the tenant to agree to restore the property to its original condition upon moving out (aside from reasonable wear and tear).
Question 5: A real estate agent attempts to solicit listings in a neighborhood by telling homeowners that people of a certain protected class are moving in and that property values will decline as a result. This illegal and discriminatory practice is known as:
- Redlining
- Steering
- Blockbusting (Correct answer)
- Canvassing
Correct answer: Blockbusting
Blockbusting, also known as panic selling, is the illegal practice of inducing homeowners to sell their properties by making representations regarding the entry or prospective entry of persons of a particular protected class into the neighborhood. This fear-mongering tactic is a violation of the Fair Housing Act.
Question 6: Under Wisconsin's Fair Housing Law, which of the following scenarios is generally permissible?
- A landlord refusing to rent a two-bedroom apartment to a family with four young children due to a reasonable local occupancy ordinance. (Correct answer)
- The owner of a 20-unit apartment building refusing to rent to anyone under the age of 30.
- An advertisement for an apartment that reads "Ideal for single professionals."
- A landlord charging a higher security deposit for tenants with disabilities who have service animals.
Correct answer: A landlord refusing to rent a two-bedroom apartment to a family with four young children due to a reasonable local occupancy ordinance.
Wisconsin law allows property owners to comply with reasonable local, state, or federal government restrictions on the maximum number of occupants permitted in a dwelling. Refusing to rent based on a violation of such an ordinance is not considered illegal discrimination based on family status. The other options represent illegal discrimination based on age, marital/family status (in advertising), and disability.
Free Wisconsin Real Estate License Wisconsin Fair Housing Laws Questions and Answers 1
A landlord in Wisconsin receives two applications for a vacant apartment.
Applicant A has a steady income from a full-time job.
Applicant B has a lower income from part-time work but receives a government housing voucher that covers the majority of the rent, making their total financial resources sufficient.
If the landlord rejects Applicant B solely because their income is from a housing voucher, what is the landlord's action considered under Wisconsin Fair Housing Law?