PrintEvicting someone because they have or are believed to have COVID-19 is probably a form of “housing discrimination” under fair housing laws.
Fair housing laws tell landlords they cannot discriminate based on disability or national origin.
A court might decide that your landlord is discriminating against you if they:
- Send you a notice to quit, or try to evict you because you have COVID-19.
- Send you a notice to quit, or try to evict you because they think you have COVID-19.
- Force you to quarantine.
- Ban you from common areas.
- Tell you to follow different rules than other tenants because they think you have COVID-19.
- Refuse to rent to you because they think you have COVID-19.
- Refuse to rent to you because of your national origin.
- Treat you differently because of your national origin.
It is probably discriminatory for a shelter to:
- Turn you away, or
- Asks to leave,
because they think you have COVID-19. But you may be sent to an isolation site if you test positive as a protective step.
There are some limited exceptions when fair housing laws do not apply.
If your landlord is discriminating against you, or if your landlord sends you a notice to quit, or tries to evict you, try to get a lawyer.
You have the right to an interpreter