Every person has the right to live in an adequate and safe dwelling, and fair housing laws work to prevent discrimination in this area and promote equality among all residents. Rental property managers and owners may find it tough to understand and comply with these requirements at times. Fair housing standards have a simple goal, but they aren’t always easy to put into practice.
Understanding fair housing laws and how they apply to you is vital to keeping your rental properties compliant. Stay tuned for a rundown of the fundamentals of fair housing rules, typical problems with compliance, and advice for rental property owners and managers.
Understanding Fair Housing Laws
Realizing that various federal, state, and local rules may apply to your rental property is the first step in understanding fair housing laws.
When most people think about fair housing laws, the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 immediately comes to mind. This law prohibits discrimination in housing regardless of a person’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, handicap, or family status. The goal of the law is to guarantee equal access to all housing-related transactions pertaining to housing, including sales, rent, and financing.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enforces this law, which investigates complaints and works to uphold fair housing standards across the U.S. In addition to the Fair Housing Act, other federal housing laws support and reinforce the principles of fair housing. Together, these regulations work toward a more equitable housing landscape across the country.
In addition to federal regulations, renters have further safeguards provided by numerous state and local laws. These laws include topics like eviction rights, security deposit limits, and discrimination based on a person’s income, sexual orientation, or gender identity. To maintain affordable housing in high-demand areas, several cities have enacted rent control or stabilization laws to prevent excessive rent increases. Local tenant rights may also include protections against eviction during severe circumstances, access to habitability standards, and requirements for clear communication between landlords and tenants. You can find more data about housing laws in your state online.
Common Compliance Challenges for Property Owners
In addition to being familiar with the regulations, it is critical to be aware of the most common scenarios that may result in housing law violations and how to prevent them. For instance, some common challenges rental property owners and landlords face in meeting fair housing laws often result from unconscious bias or the use of antiquated methods.
For instance, some property managers and owners may find tenant screening difficult due to the fact that it is illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of age, familial status, or disability according to federal law. So, deciding in advance that you will only rent to adults without children, for example, or that you won’t rent to people in their 20s, would both be examples of housing discrimination.
When marketing the property, property owners and managers may have similar preferences about the kind of tenants they would want to see. As a general rule, these practices also violate state and federal housing laws. By recognizing these challenges and adjusting your screening and marketing methods, you can better ensure fair and equitable treatment of all prospective residents.
Best Practices for Ensuring Compliance
To avoid unintentional judgment and make sure your property management strategies are in line with fair housing laws, such as creating and following a standardized application process and setting standards for tenant screenings. Other best practices to ensure compliance include:
- Use inclusive language in rental advertisements to evade prejudiced statements or preferences.
- Be consistent with giving the same data, following the same procedures, and completing the same follow-up actions for each applicant.
- Ensure that your lease terms, rules, and policies are equally fair to all tenants.
- Stay informed about reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities, and respond to such requests promptly and appropriately.
- In case of future disputes or inquiries, be sure to keep detailed records of all applications, discussions, and decisions; make sure to document the reasons for approvals and denials as well.
- Talk to an attorney or legal expert when developing policies or handling difficult cases.
Establishing and adhering to a written non-discrimination policy that conveys your obligation to Fair Housing compliance is helpful to preserve consistency.
Property Management Companies in Fair Housing Compliance
Experienced property managers should recognize all applicable local, state, and federal regulations. Furthermore, as trained professionals, they have practices to ensure that your tenant connections, screening, documentation, and other responsibilities comply with these regulations. This can give you serenity and help reduce the risk of discrimination claims altogether.
Building a Fair Housing Culture
With so much at stake in an investment property, it’s vital to be familiar with laws governing rental properties, housing, and linked issues to evade legal pitfalls more easily. Property owners can help ensure equitable treatment for all tenants by grasping and observing fair housing laws.
Engaging with an experienced property management company like Real Property Management Trailhead provides the know-how to deal with the complications of fair housing guidelines in Granbury and adjacent areas. Contact us today or call 817-930-1160 to get more details on housing law obedience and other quality management services.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
