Fair Housing Institute, Author at The Fair Housing Institute, Inc.

Managing Holiday Compliance: Fair Housing Tips for Property Managers

TL;DR The holiday season brings a different energy to multifamily communities. Lobbies get decorated, clubhouses get busier, residents invite more guests, children are home from school, and site teams may organize events meant to bring people together. Most of those decisions come from good intentions. But good intentions do not automatically equal good fair housing

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A graphic showing scales along with symbols representing different genders with the title: A graphic showing a group of people in front of houses with the title: Does HUD Still Recognize Disparate Impact? A red banner is in the upper right corner with text saying: Update on “Gender Identity” as a Protected Category Under the Fair Housing Act

Update on “Gender Identity” as a Protected Category Under the Fair Housing Act

There are seven protected categories listed in the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA): race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability. Gender identity is not one of these seven written into the law. However, over the years, HUD and some state and federal courts have interpreted the law to include gender identity as

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A graphic showing a group of people in front of houses with the title: Does HUD Still Recognize Disparate Impact? A red banner is in the upper right corner with text saying: Disparate Impact Update

Update on Disparate Impact

FAQ as of August 28, 2026 Disparate impact (or “discriminatory effects”) is a theory of liability that does not require discriminatory conduct to be intentional. Instead, it focuses on policies and practices that are neutral on their face and applied consistently to all applicants and/or tenants. These neutral policies can sometimes have a disproportionate negative

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Navigating Personal Liability in Property Management

TL;DR Property management professionals operate in a high-stakes environment where daily decisions can have significant liability ramifications. A common misconception within the industry is that housing liability rests solely with the corporate office or the property owner. However, under the Fair Housing Act, individual employees, including leasing professionals, property managers, regional managers, and maintenance staff,

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Don’t Judge a Request by Its Cover: Fair Housing Risk and Invisible Disabilities

TL;DR A resident who uses a wheelchair requests a parking space near the building entrance. Most property management professionals immediately recognize that the request may involve fair housing. But what happens when the resident asking for that same parking space walks into the office without any visible mobility issue? That is where things can get

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Mastering Customer Service as a Fair Housing Compliance Tool

TL;DR In property management, a simple misunderstanding can quickly spiral into a formal Fair Housing complaint. Many leaders assume that high-quality customer service interactions are a matter of “common sense.” However, relying on intuition over intentional training is a significant liability. True risk mitigation begins with developing a team that understands how exceptional customer service

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Fair Housing Insiders promotional graphic featuring Leslie Tucker and Michael Coughlin beside an image of two college students carrying moving boxes into student housing. Text reads, Student Housing: Key Risks Property Mangers Should Know

Student Housing: Key Risks Property Managers Should Know

TL;DR Student housing operates differently from a traditional multifamily community. Leasing cycles move quickly, residents often share units, and property teams may need to manage questions from students, parents, guarantors, and university representatives. These differences create unique operational challenges. They do not, however, remove a housing provider’s fair housing responsibilities. Student housing professionals must understand

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Navigating Fair Housing Compliance During Shifting Guidance

TL;DR The current environment for housing providers is arguably one of the most legally complex in recent years, creating a compliance minefield. With headlines frequently discussing HUD policy changes, withdrawn guidance, and shifting enforcement priorities, many professionals are operating with a sense of uncertainty. It often feels as though the rules of the game are

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Rent Collection and Fair Housing: Are Your Automated Late Fees Creating Liability?

TL;DR In the fast-paced world of property management, efficiency is the gold standard. Most property owners and managers rely heavily on automated accounting systems to streamline rent collection, track delinquencies, and issue notices. It is a logical, business-first approach. However, a standardized, automated system can inadvertently create significant legal liabilities if it fails to account

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Don’t Let Your Marketing Strategy Lead to Fair Housing Violations

TL;DR The landscape of property management marketing has shifted almost entirely online. While this digital evolution offers unparalleled opportunities to reach potential residents, it also introduces a minefield of potential fair housing liabilities. Property managers are under constant pressure to fill units quickly, but relying on popular social media trends or automated ad tools without

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