Proper documentation can help you defend against an allegation of housing discrimination. It’s pretty safe to say that all property management companies would like to avoid a lawsuit for a Fair Housing violation if at all possible. [Read more…]
Terrorism Concerns and Managing Screening Policies
When was the last time you reviewed your screening policies? Prevent illegal discrimination in screening applicants by developing and practicing consistent policies. Terrorism concerns are relevant and need to be addressed in a proactive way and not reactive. Your team needs to be properly trained on Fair Housing compliance and also on how to properly apply any procedures and policies that you may implement. [Read more…]
Fair Housing Testers – Testing For Housing Discrimination
Fair Housing Training For Maintenance – A Prerequisite
Fair Housing training for maintenance professionals is a compliance prerequisite. Housing providers sometimes overlook this need. Often they are the first team members who arrive after a maintenance call comes in. They interact with residents on a regular basis. Kindness and courtesy can often be misinterpreted. We want kindness and courtesy to always be maintained. Scenario based Fair Housing training goes a long way to create a good balance. [Read more…]
Fair Housing Advertising – Guidelines To Compliance
Fair Housing advertising issues and violations are more common than you may think. HUD provides advertising guidelines for compliance which this article covers.
In case you’re asking yourself why you should read this particular article, the fact is that if you work in the housing industry, you need to know your responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act, because regardless of your position, you are probably “advertising” every day. Fair Housing advertising involves every member of your team. [Read more…]
Fair Housing & Personal Security – What Is Most Important?
Fair Housing Or Personal Security?
An employee’s safety and personal security usually should take precedence over fair housing concerns.
Working in the field of residential real estate can be very rewarding. Whether you’re involved in sales, leasing, or maintenance, you can also face risks. We’ve all heard the frightening stories of on-site employees or real estate agents who have been attacked while doing their jobs. Good personal security practices can greatly reduce the risk of such incidents. But what happens when your personal security practices force you to treat people differently so that you’re concerned about your fair housing compliance? [Read more…]
Reasonable Accommodation – Accommodating Residents With Allergies
A reasonable accommodation by definition is an adjustment made in a system to accommodate or make fair the same system for an individual based on a proven need. That is a solid definition coming from Wikipedia. [Read more…]
Disparate Impact Clarification – A Call To HUD
Disparate Impact Clarification
Keeping up with Fair Housing laws can be a full time job. Laws are added, changed, and tweaked regularly. Recently, the American Bankers Association (ABA) and state bankers associations in all 50 states responded to HUD’s request for suggestions of outdated regulations by calling for clarification of the disparate impact rule. Here is an excerpt from the article in the ABA Banking Journal that recently was published that highlights this disparate impact clarification: [Read more…]
Educate Maintenance Staff About Reasonable Modification Requests
Apartment maintenance staff may receive reasonable modification requests because of their direct contact with residents. Therefore, it’s important that they are educated in how to respond to such requests. [Read more…]
Fair Housing Compliance – What Qualifies As A Senior Living Community?
What qualifies as a senior living community? An increasing number of housing developments appear to be marketing themselves as “Active Adult” or “Empty Nester” communities. How can that be? “Adult Only” housing was outlawed in 1988 when President Ronald Reagan signed the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) into law. [Read more…]