Landlord Quick Tip

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Tip #63: Alterations vs. Religious Freedom

Discrimination rules do not just apply to race and national origin. A tenants religious practice is also protected.

Landlords cannot make rules that discourage – or encourage, a specific religious belief.

Policies regarding the display of religious symbols or limits on gatherings must be applied consistently to all tenants, based on legitimate grounds like health or safety, and cannot be designed to quell a tenants chosen religious practice.

However, landlords are not required to permit costly alterations of the premises to accommodate a religious practice – for instance, nailing a religious symbol to the door, unless they have allowed other tenants to do the same thing.