13.1 Fair Housing Laws

The major federal fair housing law is the Fair Housing Act. Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, as amended, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians, pregnant women, and people securing custody of children under the age of 18), or handicap (disability, including persons with AIDS).

It is illegal to discriminate against any person because of age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin:

• In the sale or rental of housing or residential lots.

• In advertising the sale or rental of housing.

• In the financing of housing.

• In the provision of real estate company services.

• In the appraisal of housing.

• Blockbusting, inducing, or attempting to induce for profit a person to sell or rent a dwelling by representations regarding the entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons belonging to one of the protected classes, is also illegal.

In addition to the protected classes described above, several other state laws also prohibit discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings, and in other housing-related transactions, based on gender identity, gender expression (a person’s gender-related appearance and behavior whether or not stereotypically associated with the person’s assigned sex at birth), sexual orientation, marital status, ancestry, source of income, genetic information, religious grooming, breastfeeding, or any arbitrary classification. Check your particular State laws to ensure you are in compliance.

NAR and HUD developed a REALTOR® Fair Housing Declaration, a guideline of general fair housing principles, to which the Company firmly subscribes. Under the fair housing principles, you agree to the following:

• Provide equal professional service without regard to the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin of any prospective client, customer, or residents of any community.

• Keep informed about fair housing law and practices, improving your clients’ and customers’ opportunities and your business.

• Develop advertising that indicates that everyone is welcome and no one is excluded; expanding your clients’ and customers’ opportunities to see, buy, or lease property.

• Inform your clients and customers about their rights and responsibilities under the fair housing laws by providing brochures and other information.

• Document your efforts to provide professional service, which will assist you in becoming a more responsive and successful REALTOR®.

• Refuse to tolerate non-compliance.

• Learn about those who are different from you and celebrate those differences.

• Take a positive approach to fair housing practices and aspire to follow the spirit as well as the letter of the law.

• Develop and implement fair housing practices for your firm to carry out the spirit of this declaration.

Source: National Association of REALTORS®at http://www.realtor.org/programs/fair-housing-program/fair-housing-declaration (opens in a new tab)

All Associates of the Company are encouraged to adhere to the process outlined in the National Association of REALTORS® Fair Housing Handbook, which can be viewed and purchased here.

https://store.realtor/fair-housing-handbook-fifth-edition-digital-download/ (opens in a new tab)