Federal Fair Housing ActLocal and foreign laws add prohibitions against discrimination based on age, parental status, sexual orientation, political ideology, financial status, and perhaps other basis. Please check with your local government agency for more information.
To avoid both civil and criminal liability, obvious words should be avoided that connote any of the forbidden categories. Other words not so obvious have been interpreted liberally by the courts to violate the categories.
For example, the following terms may, in the context of an ad, be considered in violation of US federal, state or local laws and if so, would be unacceptable in real estate advertising:
adult, bachelor, couple, family, mature, no children, one person, retired, sex, single, two people, christian, executive, exclusive, handicap, integrated, membership approval, mentally ill, religious, religious landmark, older persons, senior citizens, physically fit person, race, restricted, senior discount
The above list is by no means complete. Please consult with local authorities, or with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development if you have any questions.
This service will not knowingly accept any advertisement for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hearby informed that all dwellings, under the jurisdiction of U.S. Federal regulations, advertised in this service are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD Toll-free at 1-800-669-9777 and e-mail Butler Properties