Chapter 7: Discrimination
Housing discrimination is when a housing provider takes a negative action against you because of something fundamental about who you are. Sometimes it is obvious: a landlord may say “I don’t rent to people with Section 8 vouchers.” A maintenance person or a manager of a building may make rude and suggestive sexual remarks.
Other times discrimination can be subtle or hidden. For example, a real estate agent may show you apartments in one neighborhood and not another. A landlord may refuse to rent to you because you are black or Latino, but not say outright that is why they are turning you away. A landlord may come up with lots of reasons not to give you an application once they find out you have children under 6 because there is lead paint in the property. A landlord may make up some reason to evict you, while the real reason is because you are gay.
Sometimes it is obvious that the housing provider is discriminating, other times you may just have a feeling that something is off. If you feel that you have been discriminated against by a real estate agent, a landlord, or a landlord's employee, it is important to act quickly. There are steps that you can take and organizations that may be able to help you. This chapter will tell you what discrimination is illegal and how you can protect your rights.
Go to the table of contents, or download this chapter as a PDF below.
For a summary of this chapter, see our overview article and 2-page handout.