Fair housing (discrimination)

Federal law bans housing discrimination in every state. Your landlord may not deny you housing or evict you because of your race, color, religion, sex, familial status (having children), or national origin. The same law protects people with disabilities. If you think this happened, raise it in court.

A landlord cannot refuse to rent to you because of your race, color, religion, sex, family status, or where your family comes from. This is the federal Fair Housing Act. It applies across the country.

Federal law bans discrimination in repairs and services. Your landlord cannot refuse repairs because of your race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or disability. Your landlord cannot give you worse service for the same reasons. This protection also covers you if children live with you. Your landlord cannot punish you for reporting discrimination. You can report housing discrimination to HUD. HUD is the federal housing agency.

The City of Albuquerque Office of Civil Rights has a Human Rights Officer who investigates complaints of housing discrimination. The office works against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin or ancestry, age, physical handicap, or source of income. To talk about a complaint in person, call 505-768-3138 for an appointment.

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) takes housing discrimination complaints. It covers unfair treatment because of race, disability, family status, source of income, immigration status, and more. Source of income includes things like a Section 8 voucher (a coupon that helps pay rent). You must file within 1 year of the act. It does not help with repairs, deposits, or evictions that are not about discrimination. Call 800-884-1684 or file online at calcivilrights.ca.gov.

The Florida Commission on Human Relations handles housing discrimination complaints. Florida law protects renters from discrimination. This includes race, color, or national origin. It also includes sex or disability. It also includes familial status (having children) or religion. Call (850) 488-7082 with questions or to file a complaint.

The Idaho Human Rights Commission is a state agency set up to help protect people from illegal discrimination. It says every Idahoan has the right to be treated equally where we live. Call 208-334-2873. It treats first inquiries as confidential.

The Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) investigates housing discrimination. It covers race, disability, family status, and source of income. This includes housing vouchers (help that pays part of your rent). It also covers immigration status and other protected groups. You must file within 1 year of the last act of discrimination. Fill out the Fair Housing complaint form and email it to IDHR.FairHousing@illinois.gov.

The Iowa Civil Rights Commission handles complaints about unfair treatment in housing. Under Iowa law, a landlord cannot refuse to rent to you because of your race, color, creed, sex, or sexual orientation. A landlord also cannot refuse you because of your religion, national origin, or disability. A landlord cannot treat you differently because of familial status (having children in your family). If you think this happened to you, call 515-281-4121 or visit icrc.iowa.gov to file a complaint.

The Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission (NEOC) says Nebraska bars housing discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, and other reasons it lists. To start a complaint, send an inquiry on its website. An NEOC representative then reaches out to you. Its Lincoln office is at 1526 K Street, Suite 310, with offices also in Omaha and Scottsbluff. The filing deadline is 1 year from the date of any alleged harm. Federal deadlines may be different.

New Jersey's Division on Civil Rights (DCR) fights unfair treatment in housing. This includes race, gender, religion, and disability. It also includes other protected traits. You can file a complaint on its website.

The New York State Division of Human Rights takes housing discrimination reports. Discrimination means a landlord treats you worse because of race, disability, source of income, family status, or another protected trait. Reporting is free, and you do not need a lawyer. You must report within 3 years of the most recent incident. Call (844) 697-3471, or file online at dhr.ny.gov/complaint.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) is the state agency that enforces the laws against discrimination. In housing, this covers unfair treatment based on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, age 40 and over, and disability. It also covers having children and using a guide or support animal. It covers retaliation too: punishing you for speaking up. If a landlord treats you this way, you can file a complaint with the PHRC at pa.gov/agencies/phrc.

Philadelphia's Fair Housing Commission hears unfair rental practice complaints. Examples: changing or ending a lease during open code violations; ending a lease under one year without good cause. Retaliation (punishing you for using a right) and self-help eviction (forcing you out without court) count. You must still live in the unit. Homes operated by PHA or HUD are excluded. With a Housing Choice Voucher, it reviews your lease to decide. It cannot take your complaint if your landlord already sued you in Municipal Court. File online or call (215) 686-4670.

The Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations takes complaints if a housing provider discriminated against you. Call 412-255-2600 or email human.relations@pittsburghpa.gov. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. You must schedule a time to file a complaint; they do not take walk-ins.

Federal law protects you from unfair treatment in housing. The Fair Housing Act bans this treatment based on your race, your color, or your national origin. It also bans this treatment based on your religion, your sex, your family status, or your disability. This law covers renting a home, buying a home, getting a home loan, or asking for housing help.

Pennsylvania law also protects you. The Pennsylvania Human Relations Act covers renting, buying, selling, or getting a loan for a home. It bans discrimination because of your race, color, sex, age over 40, religion, national origin, or ancestry. It also protects families with children under 18, people with disabilities, and people who use a guide or support animal for a disability.

Pittsburgh's fair housing ordinance lists its own protected groups. They include race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and family status. They also include disability, use of a support animal because of a disability, and status as a domestic violence victim. It also covers citizenship or immigration status, preferred language, hairstyles, and protective and cultural hair textures, and past or present housing status. Both actual and perceived traits count.

Pittsburgh's ordinance also bans a landlord from refusing to rent to you. This applies to every group the ordinance protects, listed above. Your landlord also cannot falsely say a home is not available to avoid renting to you.

Pittsburgh's ordinance bans unfair lease terms too. Your landlord cannot add a condition to your lease that treats you differently because of a protected trait. Your landlord also cannot give you worse building services or facilities for that reason.

Pennsylvania's Human Relations Act says landlords cannot treat you unfairly because of things like your race, sex, or disability. Most landlords cannot charge you a different rent because of one of these things. In Pittsburgh, renting is also covered by city code chapter 659.03. The Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations enforces this rule.

Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division takes housing discrimination complaints for the whole state. Discrimination means a landlord treats you worse because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status (children), or disability. You must file within 1 year of the discrimination. File online or by mail, or call 800-628-5115. You cannot file the same complaint with both TWC and HUD.

The Washington State Human Rights Commission enforces the state's fair housing law, the Washington Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60). Under this law, a landlord cannot refuse to rent to you after you make a legitimate offer. A landlord also cannot refuse to negotiate with you. File a complaint online or call 1-800-233-3247.