As a fair housing attorney, I often field the question, “What can I do to avoid having a complaint filed against me?” Avoiding complaints seems like a pretty obvious and sensible goal, right? While the goal may be straightforward, the
Although I have written about it a few times before (quid pro quo and hostile environment), given the current cultural climate I definitely feel that it bears repeating—sexual harassment touches all aspects of life, including the workplace, and
Advertisements for apartment complexes and rental properties are virtually impossible to miss as you drive along any busy street or highway. They have brightly colored signs boasting “granite countertops,” “saltwater pools,” and even “two story gyms.” But have you ever
Frequent readers of this blog know that the Fair Housing Act exists in large part to prohibit discrimination against individuals based on their physical appearance (race, gender, national origin, etc.). However, did you know that you cannot discriminate against assistance
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a report on Tuesday, September 5th that really struck me. The report revealed the findings of a pilot study on rental housing discrimination on the basis of mental disabilities. As most
In my previous post, I discussed the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) prohibition on sexual harassment. Although it seems patently obvious that no landlord should be sexually harassing his or her residents, apparently some people remain oblivious.
In my last post, I discussed the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (“HUD”) Rule 100.600 (the “Rule”), published by HUD last September. In the post, I focused on that Rule’s prohibition of hostile environment harassment, and in my
It occurred to me recently that I have been remiss in not writing about a very important rule that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published last September. HUD Rule 100.600 profoundly impacts landlords in two primary ways:
I received a fair housing complaint the other day, and it surprised me because of its interesting use of gender discrimination. The complaint alleged that the resident was being discriminated against by the landlord because he identified as a transgender
As I have written about before, the rules regarding permissible inquiries in response to a Fair Housing Act accommodation request are complex and fraught with danger. Given this complexity, many housing providers are inclined to simply grant any accommodation