Landlords are very careful to follow the letter of the law when it comes to tenant screening and deciding who to accept as a tenant. Nobody wants to be accused of being in violation of Fair Housing laws for rejecting a particular tenant applicant.
But adhering to the Fair Housing Act begins even before the selection process. It begins with the way you advertise the rental property and market it to potential tenants. The Fair Housing Act states that it’s unlawful to publish any advertisement for the sale or rental of a home that indicates any preference, limitation, or discrimination against people who are covered by what are seen as the seven protected classes: race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability, and familial status (whether or not you have a child under 18 living with you).
The biggest trap landlords fall into with regards to advertising rental property is that they go one step beyond describing the unit and also describe the type of tenant they think would be best suitable for the property. Most landlords do this to be helpful, regarding it as a smart marketing tactic to market the property to the type of person you think would be the best fit. But describing a one-bedroom apartment as being “ideal for a single person” places your ad on the non-compliance list for making yourself appear to be discriminating against families.
The best way to avoid any discrimination claims against you is to stick with a straight description of the rental property, highlighting its best features.
http://www.verifyprotect.com/
