Texas Landlord Charged with Discrimination

HUD charged a Wichita Falls, Texas, landlord with violating the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by publishing advertisements that discriminate against families with children. HUD alleges that the landlord posted a classified ad in a local real estate paper that read: “No drugs, no pets, no children.”

The FHA prohibits landlords from discriminating based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status. Familial status protection also applies to pregnant women and anyone with legal custody of a child under 18. Under the FHA, site owners and managers may not: refuse to rent housing; refuse to negotiate for housing; make housing unavailable; deny a dwelling; set different terms, conditions, or privileges for the rental of a dwelling; provide different housing services or facilities; falsely deny that housing is available for inspection or rental; for profit, persuade owners to sell or rent (blockbusting); or deny anyone access to a facility or service related to the rental of housing. Owners also may not advertise or make any statement that indicates a preference or otherwise discriminates against families with children. This includes publishing print, broadcast, or Internet ads.