How to Stay Compliant with Fair Housing Laws?

How to Stay Compliant with Fair Housing Laws?

1. Understand the laws: Understand the federal and state fair housing laws that apply to you as a landlord or Houston property manager. These laws prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability.
2. Create a fair housing policy: Create a fair housing policy for your property that clearly states your commitment to non-discrimination and provides examples of prohibited discriminatory practices.
3. Use consistent criteria: Use consistent criteria for all prospective tenants, such as income, credit history, and rental history.
4. Train your staff: Train your staff on fair housing laws and your fair housing policy to ensure that everyone who represents your property is aware of these laws.
5. Be aware of steering: Steering is the practice of directing prospective tenants to or away from certain properties or neighborhoods based on their protected characteristics.
6. Avoid discriminatory advertising: Avoid discriminatory advertising, such as using language that implies a preference for or against certain protected groups.
7. Make reasonable accommodations: Make reasonable accommodations for tenants with disabilities, such as installing grab bars in the bathroom or providing a designated parking spot.
8. Keep records of all tenant applications and communications to provide documentation of your compliance with fair housing laws.
9. Be aware of retaliation: Be mindful of retaliation, which is illegal. Retaliation refers to taking adverse action against someone because they have asserted their fair housing rights.
10. Seek professional help: Seek professional help from a Houston property manager if you aren’t knowledgeable about fair housing laws.

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