Topic: Familial Status/Age

May 2025 Coach’s Quiz

April 22, 2025 | Glenn S. Demby

QUESTIONS Question 1 Requiring children to use a separate kiddie pool and stay out of the main pool is okay: a. If the kiddie pool is at least as nice and conveniently located as the main pool b. If, unlike the main pool, the kiddie pool is at all […]

Avoid 8 Discrimination Pitfalls When Setting Rules for Common Use Amenities

April 22, 2025 | Glenn S. Demby

Offering the right amenities—like pools, fitness centers, and game rooms—can give you a decisive edge in attracting and retaining tenants. But setting rules for safely using amenities exposes you to risk of liability under fair housing laws, particularly claims of discrimination against families with children. You can get into trouble even when your sole purpose in creating the rules is to ensure safe and sanitary use of the amenity. We show you how to avoid this inadvertent discrimination.

May 2024 Coach’s Quiz

April 19, 2024

QUESTION #1Your community’s fitness center offers pilates classes for tenants. After reading studies showing that pilates classes are dangerous for kids, you implement a new rule banning children under age 18 from participating in the classes. Is this a legitimate safety rule?a. No, because it’s a blanket restriction that bars all children

Do Your Fitness Center Rules Discriminate Against Children and the Disabled?

April 19, 2024

Overly restrictive safety rules may have unintended discriminatory effects.

June 2023 Coach’s Quiz

May 17, 2023

We’ve explained how managing lead paint hazards can lead to liability for family status discrimination and the seven rules to follow to manage those risks. Now it’s your turn to apply these principles to real-life situations that may actually arise if your own community contains lead paint hazards. Take the COACH’s Quiz below. Good luck!QUESTION #1A couple expecting their first child expresses interest in an available apartment containing flaking and dust-emitting lead paint on the walls. What should you do?

How to Avoid Family Status Discrimination When Managing Lead Paint Hazards

May 17, 2023

If you’re among the many landlords with lead paint problems, you face some difficult choices.

October 2022 Coach’s Quiz

September 21, 2022

We’ve explained how seemingly neutral rules designed to prevent overcrowding and unsafe and unsanitary conditions can get you into fair housing law hot water. We’ve also described the major liability risks and what you should do to avoid them when developing and enforcing occupancy standards for your community. Now it’s your turn to try out the material and gauge how well you’ve learned the lessons and can apply them to real-life situations that may actually arise at your own community. Take the Coach’s Quiz below.

Make Sure Your Occupancy Standards Don’t Discriminate Against Families with Children

September 21, 2022

We’ll give you six rules for avoiding liability risks when setting and enforcing occupancy standards.

April 2022 Coach’s Quiz

March 15, 2022

QUESTION #1You want to prevent kids from drowning by requiring them to be responsibly supervised when using the pool. Local ordinances stipulate that all children under 14 must be supervised to use a public pool. Which is the least restrictive way to formulate your own rule? a. Children under age 14 must be supervised by an adultb. Children under age 14 must be supervised by a parent or adult guardianc. Non-swimmers must be supervised by a proficient swimmer

How to Avoid Setting Discriminatory Swimming Pool Rules