The Fair Housing Act of 1968 is a landmark civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination in the process of renting a home, buying a home, financing a home, and in the distribution of housing assistance, among other things. It also bans discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, nationality, gender, familial status, or disability. The law has been expanded numerous times, and states and localities have enacted their own laws as well, including some that expand protections to people who identify as LGBTQ and prohibit discrimination on the basis of criminal records, immigration status, and ethnic hairstyles. Some discrimination occurs despite a property owner or manager’s intent to discriminate.
Despite these laws, housing discrimination persists in many forms. With regard to housing itself, one form of discrimination occurs when realtors or property managers will steer potential residents or buyers away from certain neighborhoods, or refuse to show units in those neighborhoods all together. In the inverse situation, a property manager or neighborhood might try to pressure someone into moving out of their rental or selling their house, a practice known as blockbusting.
When applying for a rental unit or mortgage, discrimination can occur in the application process, too. Property managers and lenders are legally allowed to reject applicants on the basis of income, credit score, a previous history of nonpayment, prior bankruptcies, and/or bad references, among other things. Still, a rejection on the basis of race, sex, and any of the other aforementioned traits is illegal.
Once an application is accepted, some people may experience discrimination through rent or mortgage payments, such as higher interest rates for underrepresented borrowers. The home appraisal process isn’t immune from discrimination, either; for example, appraisers might devalue a home being purchased by an underrepresented borrower, which could make it harder or more expensive to get a mortgage. In a more severe situation, appraisers could devalue houses in an entire neighborhood largely occupied by a protected group of people.
Zumper’s Anti-Discrimination Policy
All real estate advertised on Zumper is subject to the federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make such preference, limitation or discrimination.” It’s also subject to state and local fair housing laws, which prohibit discriminatory advertising in additional categories, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, and source of income.
We will not knowingly accept or permit any advertisement for real estate that is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.
If you see something, say something
Despite our zero tolerance policy, real estate advertisement on Zumper’s platform and the information within it is provided by third-party advertisers. Because of this, there may be an instance or instances of potential discrimination by these third-party advertisers that we have yet to uncover, correct, or remove. If you see examples of language in a listing on Zumper that is potentially discriminatory or suspect discrimination by one of these sites, please contact us immediately at support@zumper.com.
Complaints alleging discrimination in housing may be filed with the nearest office of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), or by calling HUD’s toll-free number, 1-800-669-9777 (voice), or 1-800-543-8294 (TDD). You can also contact HUD on their website, http://www.hud.gov/.
If you believe that you’vebeen the victim of discrimination, you can also contact your state’s Attorney General or a local legal aid organization.
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