Michigan residents like you already have more than enough on your plate when you start house hunting. Between all of the laws and requirements to follow, plus the time and money you will sink into this endeavor, the last thing you want to deal with on top of everything else is discrimination.
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the Fair Housing Act Amendments Act of 1988 are both federal acts that ensure the protection of “protected categories” – or groups of people that are particularly at risk for discrimination. These acts made it illegal to discriminate based on race or color, national origin, sex, religion, age or family status. Within the latter two categories, protected groups include minors, pregnant women, and anyone with a handicap or disability.
Under the act, landlords are prohibited from treating these groups in a discriminatory way. As an example, they cannot:
- Deny that a rental unit is available when it isn’t
- Terminate their tenancy for reasons related to the above categories
- Refuse rent for certain group members or set restrictive standards for one group that doesn’t apply to the other tenants
- Make a statement or advertisement that even hints at a preference or limitation based on the above categories
- Set conditions, terms and privileges that are not consistent with the rest of the tenants in the building
If you decide that you want to continue reading about the real estate laws in your area and how they handle the possibility of housing discrimination, consider viewing our web page on real estate law which is linked above.