Fair Housing News - The Fair Housing Institute, Inc.
A promotional banner for a webinar titled "Mastering Customer Service as a Fair Housing Compliance Tool" presented by Fair Housing Insiders (FHI). The banner features a red background on the left with the text and the FHI logo. On the right, it displays headshots of two speakers, a woman and a man, alongside an inset image of professionals in an office setting. The text also notes a "Special Guest Donna Cutting"

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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Fair Housing Insiders promotional graphic featuring Leslie Tucker, a fair housing attorney, and Michael Coughlin, host of Fair Housing Insiders, in front of a red and white branded layout. A circular image shows a judge’s gavel beside a model house. The FHI logo appears on the left with the text: Navigating Fair Housing Compliance During Shifting Guidance

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 With headlines frequently discussing HUD policy changes, withdrawn guidance, and shifting enforcement priorities, many professionals are operating with a sense of uncertainty.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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A promotional graphic for "Fair Housing Insiders" (FHI) features a professional woman and man in blazers smiling in the foreground. The left side of the image has a teal background with the white FHI logo—a house icon with an equals sign inside—above the title text: "RENT COLLECTION AND FAIR HOUSING: ARE YOUR AUTOMATED LATE FEES CREATING LIABILITY?". In the background, a laptop displays a notification icon of an envelope with a red "1" and the words "Past Due" written in red.

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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The image displays the episode title, Don’t Let Your Marketing Strategy Lead to Fair Housing Violations," alongside professional portraits of host Michael Coughlin and guest fair housing attorney Leslie Tucker. It also features an image of a professional using a tablet with digital overlays of a robotic head, circuit patterns, and the word "ADS” in white text alongside the FHI house logo.

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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A promotional graphic for "Fair Housing Insiders" titled "BEFORE YOU SAY NO: FAIR HOUSING'S INTERACTIVE PROCESS." The left side of the image features a teal background with the "Fair Housing Insiders (FHI)" logo and the main title in white text. On the right, three individuals are pictured: a blonde woman and a man with glasses are smiling in the foreground, while a third person in the background has their hand raised in a "stop" gesture.

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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A thumbnail titled "Avoiding Fair Housing Violations During Peak Leasing Season" featuring the Fair Housing Insiders logo, two professional presenters, and an inset image of a key exchange.

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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A promotional graphic for Fair Housing Insiders (FHI) titled "Property Management Risk: Seasonal Amenitites and Familial Status." The image features a professional headshot of Leslie Tucker and Michael Coughlin against a blue and white background. A circular inset in the upper right shows a person and a child jumping into a swimming pool.

Fair Housing in the Summer: Auditing Amenity Rules to Prevent Costly Familial Status Violations

The summer season, with its packed pools and busy clubhouses, brings a unique and often costly compliance challenge for property managers: familial status discrimination. This issue consistently ranks among the top three fair housing complaints filed annually, and enforcement actions for amenity-related violations can result in settlements from $25,000 to over $100,000. To shield properties

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A promotional graphic for "Fair Housing Insiders" (FHI) titled "The Fair Housing Act Applies to the HOA." The left side of the image features the FHI logo and the title in white and black text against a solid red background. The right side shows a professional headshot of two individuals, a woman and a man, smiling. In the top right corner, a circular inset displays wooden toy houses and a document labeled "Homeowners Association."

The Fair Housing Act Applies to HOAs: What Property Managers Must Know

TL;DR The assumption that the Fair Housing Act (FHA) is exclusively a concern for rental properties is a dangerous misconception that exposes Homeowners Associations (HOAs) and property managers to significant legal liability. The fundamental legal truth is that the FHA applies to virtually all housing providers, including most HOAs and community associations. Failure to scrutinize

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