Fair Housing Quick Guide
What is Fair Housing?
The Fair Housing Act is a federal law passed in 1968 that protects individuals from unfair housing practices based on the individual’s membership in a protected class. Also known as Title VIII, it is part of the Civil Rights Act and came about as a result of the Civil Rights Movement. It has been amended several times to include additional provisions and protected classes. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. You cannot justify wrongdoing by saying, “I was new.” Or “I didn’t know.” It is best to stay consistent in all of your interactions with prospects and residents! Do the same thing for every person. What are the 7 Federally protected classes?
Race, Religion, Color, Sex, Familial Status, Disability, and National Origin.
State and local laws may have other protected classes. Check with your Property Manager to learn more about these classes.
Difficult Fair Housing Questions:
1. You should know how to answer questions such as, “What kinds of people live here?” or “How safe is this community?”
“ We welcome anyone who meets our qualifying standards.”
“We are a very diverse community.” “Obviously, it’s an apartment community and many people live nearby. Like anywhere, stay aware of your surroundings, you may use the deadbolt on your front doors, and make us aware of any community lighting that may not be properly working.”
“If there is ever an emergency situation, dial 911 as you would anywhere else.”
2. What does MAA’s Pre -Screening Policy state? MAA’s applicant screening providers consider and use all verifiable income during the application process. The acceptance of the application is based on many factors set forth by the applicant screening providers. There is no way we can predict whether or not someone may qualify. When asked the question, “What does it take for my application to be accepted or denied?,” we give the honest response that there is no way for you to know since our third party provider does not provide us with screening parameters. To help the prospect feel a little comfortable, you can also explain that MAA respects all customers’ privacy and with that, we are only shown an application result. We see no credit scores or personal financial information. You may also explain to the prospect that SafeRent makes those decisions for us so that we do not have to ask private credit information. They also provide you with a number to call in the event you have any questions. 3. What is steering? The practice of directing a home seeker to a particular apartment or area of the community by restricting the prospect’s choices based on one or more protected class. Example: Children to the bottom floor or steering family away from resident that has expresses concern for children around them.
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