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

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

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 a

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A Major Shift in Fair Housing Law: What the New HUD Memo Means for Emotional Support Animals

A recent internal memo from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has sent shockwaves through the housing industry, raising serious questions about the future of Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) in Fair Housing compliance and accommodation requests. We have broken down this major policy shift and the potential ripple effects that housing providers need

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Mastering the Interactive Process: A Fair Housing Compliance Guide for Property Managers

When a resident submits a disability accommodation request that seems impossible to fulfill, the natural reaction might be to deny it outright—or worse, ignore it. However, in the world of fair housing, these reactions are significant compliance risks. The “interactive process” is not just a best practice; it is a legal requirement designed to bridge

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Avoiding Fair Housing Violations During Peak Leasing Season

TL;DR Peak leasing season, typically spanning from May through August, represents a period of extreme urgency and high volume for property management professionals. This rush, unfortunately, also correlates with a significant spike in potential fair housing claims. The primary cause? When chaos reigns, adherence to documented policies often suffers. This article dives deep into the

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