Don't Ban Cooking Odors or Warn Ethnic Residents Against Them

Beware of telling ethnic prospects or residents not to cook certain foods with exotic or unpleasant odors. Experts say that there's a common misconception among even well-meaning site managers that people from certain countries cook foods that give off objectionable odors. Sometimes, it's true that certain ethnic dishes give off odors that some might consider unpleasant. But stereotyping is not only ignorant, it can lead to a fair housing disaster if you warn such people about cooking certain types of foods.

You cannot dictate what food is cooked at your site, particularly if you prohibit certain cuisines based on national origin. Fair housing laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of national origin. This means that owners and managers cannot set different terms or conditions for residents on the basis of where they come from or their ancestry. However, it would not be unreasonable for an owner or manager to relay any complaints received about the odors, so long as the goal is to improve neighborly relations.