Federal fair housing law protects LGBT couples, court rules for first time
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lmachine
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newcalling
Guest
Regardless of how we feel about Same Sex “marriage” or unions, or about homosexuality and transgenderism, I think the ruling was right. There’s no reason to discriminate against them in housing.
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Crusaderbear
Guest
Concur…
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kozlosap
Guest
Amen! 
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JanetF
Guest
Exactly!
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jaimeleglise
Guest
I believe in fair housing too, but do you want people living certain lifestyles living in part of your home if you have young children living there? They are not setting a great example.
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Wedge_Antilles
Guest
As a business owner, and also landlord, that all sounds good until you are sued for not renting your basement to two gay married men because your family lives upstairs.
I stopped renting our attached apartment once we got married and stuck to only free-standing rentals away from my home to avoid the intrusion of lifestyles I didn’t want my family exposed to - partying, excessive alcohol, loud music. Two men living together as partners would qualify.
Not having read the ruling, I can’t comment with any more specificity.
LeafByNiggle
Well-known member
There are proper ways of getting what you want. Discrimination in housing is not one of them.
The federal law does not apply to owner-occupied housing with less than four units.
State law might provide an exception for two-family units.
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Wedge_Antilles
Guest
Thanks.
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ProdigalSun
Guest
THis ruling is just. No one should be descrimnated agaisnt for living quarters. Unless your a junky, have a sketchy past with other rentals, have a history of causing trouble… etc.
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ProdigalSun
Guest
exactly! So when the young pulls up in his van and he and his girl freind get out. THey got all the leather and the hair and the nose rings and you can see all their band equipment in the back and the drummer is passed out in the back seat.
DO not discriminate, bring these guys in right away and get them to sign that lease.
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chloride
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mikekle
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Im not sure this will really matter, if an owner does not want to rent to someone, no matter what the reason, they can easily just give a vague explanation for the denial, like job applicants who are not hired after the interview, the employer can give ANY reason they like as the reason for not hiring.
I remember years ago working for this chain pizza place, the district mgr was extremely racist and if he ever had any non-white applicants, he would just list ‘not qualified’ , or something vague as the reason for not hiring, but most of the managers under him knew the real reason.
Its not like there is someone going behind and checking things like this either, so a court ruling may mean nothing, the owner will just find another ‘legit’ reason to put down for not renting to them.
I remember years ago working for this chain pizza place, the district mgr was extremely racist and if he ever had any non-white applicants, he would just list ‘not qualified’ , or something vague as the reason for not hiring, but most of the managers under him knew the real reason.
Its not like there is someone going behind and checking things like this either, so a court ruling may mean nothing, the owner will just find another ‘legit’ reason to put down for not renting to them.
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SuperLuigi
Guest
Businesses should be able to make their own decisions without interference from the government.
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SuperLuigi
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So in other words big federal government that :bighanky: cares oh so much about minorities :crying: doesn’t work?
“I’m shocked, I tell you, shocked to find out it doesn’t!”
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Rau
Guest
“The married couple who brought the case — Rachel Smith, a transgender woman, and Tonya Smith — were denied a rental townhouse along with their two children by a landlord who gave as a reason their “unique relationship,” they claimed in court.”
What ever compelled the Landlord to offer a reason for denying the couple?
And why on earth would he give THAT reason?
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BlueEyedLady
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In housing, there is. It’s much harder to discriminate in housing than elsewhere because the standards of objectivity and documentation are so much higher. The FHA is very strictly enforced. Fair Housing inspectors make random stops to mystery shop, files can be and are audited, and anytime there is a FH complaint, a company (not just the property) will be investigated.
Sometimes, people you turn down for legit reasons will suspect discrimination and send their own friend or family member in to test the property. If their friend is approved, you can bet you’ll get a formal complaint. If you’ve been fair and honest, no problem. But if you haven’t, the company and the individual employee are both liable.
If you deny someone an apartment, you must have objective documentation as to why - credit, income, or a background check. You must offer the same remedies (co-signer, higher deposit, pay the lease upfront) to everyone.
Most reputable companies use leasing software that easily maintains all of these records because it’s industry and government standard. If you call a leasing office and they tell you they have no one bedrooms available, and your friend calls 5 minutes later and is told they do, the software will show whether or not a hold was cancelled and something became available in that span. If it didn’t, or if the company just keeps bad records, they’re open to a lot of trouble. You have to keep records of what is available and when, down to the time of day.
I was an assistant property manager for several companies while I did my undergrad. Complaints, investigations, and legal penalties are all very common. Most complaints are bunk, but certainly not all. And it costs nothing to have a property investigated if you feel you’ve been discriminated against; no lawyering up required.
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BlueEyedLady
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I’ll buy that argument when all of these anti-gay people start a campaign to make race, religion, and disability all grounds for discrimination.
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