The Fair Housing Act - Your Protection From Discrimination

Everybody should have equal opportunities when engaging in various real estate transactions. Unfortunately, there are still some who engage in discriminatory acts as they give preferences to whoever they want to transact with. AS long as these people exist, many people will be deprived from engaging freely in trying to own the house they want, obtaining temporary homes and in getting good deals for financing.

You could be a victim of discrimination. Hence, it is important that you protect yourself from it. One of the best things to do is to educate yourself about the Fair Housing Act.

In Selling or Renting

The Fair Housing Act has stated several prohibitions that would constitute discrimination. One of which is refusal to sell a property or even renting it out to a person because of race, nationality, color or religion.

Some of the acts that constitutes as such are:

1. Leading people to obtain housing elsewhere, to prevent them from buying homes within the neighborhood. This is considered steering.
2. Implementation of zoning ordinances to prevent people of certain religion to perform religious practices.
3. Limiting a certain number of nationalities within a particular neighborhood because of fear of outnumbering native citizens.
4. Preventing a particular family from renting or buying homes because of the ages of their family members or status.
5. Restriction of access to certain amenities provided to other tenants or homeowners because of familial status.

In Lending

People engaging in real estate transactions should also be able to get proper financing after undergoing underwriting process. Data for accepting application should have reasonable basis like income, credit histories, stability of job and ROIs. People should not be denied of loan because of their religion, sex, race, nationality or even disability.

On Sexual Harassment

FHA prohibits people take sexual advances on women in exchange for their privilege to stay in the property they are renting. Believe it or not, there are instances that this could happen. Some women would be forced to do sexual favors so as not to lose the opportunity to give their family a shelter. According to FHA, this act is considered an abuse and should have consequences, even to those who are potential violators.

Regarding Disability

The Fair Housing Act protects those who are incapacitated physically and mentally from being denied of the opportunity to transact in real estate. In fact, a physically disabled renter should not be denied of any facilities that could make their homes more accessible to them. For examples, ramps can be built for them to make it easier for them use their wheelchairs.

A group of individuals with disability should also not be treated less of a person nor should get less privileges compared to those who are not physically incapacitated. Even people who have intentions to use a particular house as a shelter for a group of disabled people, should also not be denied of a permit to run a particular house for them.

FHA has helped a lot to bring back equality in real estate. No one is excluded from observing such law. Violators will be sanctioned with criminal penalties.

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