Your Guide to the Fair Housing Act
What is the Fair Housing Act? The Fair Housing Act is nothing but a federal law that protects certain individuals and families from discrimination within the sale, rental, financing, or advertising of housing. The law was passed in 1968 with the understanding that individuals should have the right to rent a home, buy a home or get a mortgage without being treated differently based on their membership in a class of individuals. Nowadays, the same premise of shielding renters as well as buyers from discrimination is enforced on a federal and state level, but with more expanded protections. Who is protected under the Fair Housing Act? Rental applicants and residential buyers are protected under the Fair Housing Act no matter their race, color, sex, religion, disability, familial status, and national origin. Additional Protected Classes State as well as local laws may actually provide further protection to renters and buyers belonging to additional protected classes, a number of which ar