Landlord Quick Tip

Print Friendly

Tip #212: Singling You Out?

Housing officials report that nearly 30,000 landlords were investigated last year for discrimination claims. The most common complaints are over disabilities, then race, and national origin.

Discrimination need not be overt. Any leasing policy which has a negative impact on certain tenants over others protected from discrimination could spark a claim.Some seemingly routine leasing policies may be discriminatory, yet the landlord may not realize it — until it’s too late.

Here are some policies to avoid:

Occupancy limits that do not directly correlate with local law.

All pet policies when applied to tenants with disabilities who need companion animals.

Charging per person or ‘head rent’, which could hurt families.

Advertising in private sources or otherwise steering the “right” kind of tenant away from or to a property.

See last week’s Landlord Quick Tip.

American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services for landlords related to your rental housing investment, including rental forms, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, insurance and financing. Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.