FAIR HOUSING IS YOUR RIGHT!
Housing discrimination happens in the process of renting, buying, selling or getting a loan for a home. It also includes discrimination that denies someone the use or enjoyment of their home.
Who is protected?
Discrimination in housing is prohibited on the basis of race; color; sex; religion; national origin; marital status; familial status (having children younger than 18); handicap or disability or elderliness (age 55+).
It is also illegal to discriminate against someone because he or she has opposed housing discrimination, participated in an investigation, or exercised otherwise exercised a right provided for under Fairfax County’s Fair Housing Act.
What does Housing Discrimination Look Like?
Some examples of housing discrimination are as follows:
- refusing to rent to a family with children under 18
- refusing to rent or sell a home to someone of a particular race, religion or skin color
- targeting a particular group for unfavorable loan terms or deceptive lending practices (predatory lending)
- a landlord refusing accessible parking or otherwise denying access to the housing accommodation of a person with a disability
- housing advertisements that express a preference for people of a certain race, sex or religion
- making references to the composition of the neighborhood in which a property is listed in order to discourage a home purchase
- treating one tenant less favorably than others in the terms of their rental or in repairing or maintaining property because of their race, religion, sex, or other protected characteristic.
- harassment by a landlord based on race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, etc.
