Fair Housing
Is a landlord allowed to discriminate in the selection of tenants?
That depends on how you define “discriminate.” The landlord isn’t required to take all applicants. He or she can use legal criteria to select tenants, such as their past history of tenancy, the amount of income they have with which to pay the rent, their credit history, and their past criminal record. The landlord may also use personal criteria in selecting tenants, such as whether they have purple hair or nose rings. In some places, a landlord may even refuse to rent to certain people because of their occupation. But the law has made many other forms of discrimination unlawful.
>>Is a landlord allowed to discriminate in the selection of tenants?
>>What is fair housing?
>>What can a prospective tenant -- one who tried to rent a home and was turned down -- do against a landlord who discriminates illegally?
>>How can the prospective tenant prove that the landlord has illegally discriminated?
>>What are the possible outcomes for a prospective tenant who files a complaint or a lawsuit for discrimination?
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