Welcome Guest  

Equal Housing Opportunity

Property owners, managers and licensed real estate brokers/agents are subject to the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits "any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make such preference, limitation or discrimination."

BuyRenter.com supports Equal Housing Opportunity and we encourage users of our service to follow appropriate guidelines to comply with both the Federal Housing Act, as well as any applicable state and local regulations. All renters are hereby informed that all property rental offers are available on an equal opportunity basis.

 

Property Owner and Manager Responsibilities

As a property owner or manager you have a responsibility and a requirement under the law not to discriminate in the rental of property on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. You cannot instruct your agent to convey on your behalf any limitations in the rental because your agent is bound by law not to discriminate. Agents in a rental transaction are prohibited by law from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. They are prohibited from complying with a request from the property owner or manager to act in a discriminatory manner in the lease or rental. Moreover, a property owner or manager cannot establish discriminatory terms or conditions in the purchase or rental, deny that housing is available, or advertise that the property is available only to persons of a certain race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national original.

 

Tenant Rights

As someone seeking to rent a house, duplex, townhouse, apartment or condo, you have the right to expect that housing will be available to you without discrimination or other limitations based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. This includes the right to expect equal professional service, the opportunity to consider a broad range of housing choices, no discriminatory limitations on communities or locations of housing, no discrimination in the pricing or financing of housing, reasonable accommodations in rules, practices and procedures for persons with disabilities, and to be free from harassment or intimidation for exercising your fair housing rights.

 

THE LAW

 

Civil Rights Act of 1866

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 prohibits all racial discrimination in the sale or rental of property.

 

Fair Housing Act

The Fair Housing Act declares a national policy of fair housing throughout the United States . The law makes illegal any discrimination in the sale, lease or rental of housing, or making housing otherwise unavailable, because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

 

Americans with Disabilities Act

Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in places of public accommodations and commercial facilities.

 

Equal Credit Opportunity Act

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act makes discrimination unlawful with respect to any aspect of a credit application on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age or because all or part of the applicant's income derives from any public assistance program.

 

State and Local Laws

State and local laws often provide broader coverage and prohibit discrimination based on additional classes not covered by federal law.

 

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

The home seller, the home seeker, and the real estate professional all have rights and responsibilities under the law.

 

For the Home Seller

As a home seller or landlord you have a responsibility and a requirement under the law not to discriminate in the sale, rental and financing of property on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. You cannot instruct the licensed broker or salesperson acting as your agent to convey for you any limitations in the sale or rental because the real estate professional is also bound by law not to discriminate. Under the law, a home seller or landlord cannot establish discriminatory terms or conditions in the purchase or rental; deny that housing is available, or advertise that the property is available only to persons of a certain race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

 

For the Home Seeker

You have the right to expect that housing will be available to you without discrimination or other limitations based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

 

This includes the right to expect:

Housing in your price range made available to you without discrimination;
Equal professional service;
The opportunity to consider a broad range of housing choices;
No discriminatory limitations on communities or locations of housing;
No discrimination in the financing, appraising, or insuring of housing;
Reasonable accommodations in rules, practices and procedures for persons with disabilities;
Non-discriminatory terms and conditions for the sale, rental, financing, or insuring of a dwelling; and
To be free from harassment or intimidation for exercising your fair housing rights.

 

For the Real Estate Professional

Agents in a real estate transaction are prohibited by law from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. A request from the home seller or landlord to act in a discriminatory manner in the sale, lease or rental cannot legally be fulfilled by the real estate professional.

 

IF YOU SUSPECT DISCRIMINATION

 

Call the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

You can contact HUD on the Internet at http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/index.cfm.