Written & reviewed by External Legal AI · Published July 1, 2026
The federal Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to deny someone housing — or treat them differently in it — because of who they are. That reaches far beyond an outright "no": different rents, false "it's unavailable," steering toward or away from neighborhoods, and unequal mortgage terms are all covered. Filing a complaint with HUD is free, and the administrative window is one year.
The Act covers race, color, national origin, religion, sex (which HUD applies to include sexual orientation and gender identity), familial status (households with children under 18, and pregnant people), and disability. It applies to most rentals, home sales, mortgage lending, and homeowners insurance — small owner-occupied buildings and some private sales are the main carve-outs.
It's unlawful to refuse to rent or sell, set different prices, deposits, or terms, falsely claim a unit is unavailable, advertise a preference for or against a protected group, or "steer" people toward or away from neighborhoods based on a protected characteristic. The same rules reach mortgage lending — denying a loan, or offering worse terms, because of a protected trait.
A landlord can turn you down for poor credit, insufficient income, or past evictions — as long as the standard is applied evenly to everyone. The law turns on the reason for the decision, not on whether it felt unfair. What changes the analysis is a protected characteristic driving the outcome, or a neutral-sounding rule applied only to some people.
Housing providers must make reasonable exceptions to their rules when a person with a disability needs one — a "reasonable accommodation," like allowing an assistance animal in a no-pets building or assigning an accessible parking space. Residents can also make "reasonable modifications" to the unit at their own expense, such as a ramp or grab bars. Assistance animals follow their own rule set — see the service-animal answer for the housing, store, and air-travel splits.
You can file a complaint with HUD online, by phone, or by mail — or through a HUD-approved state or local fair-housing agency — at no cost, generally within one year of the discrimination. Going straight to federal court carries its own, longer deadline. Retaliation for filing or helping an investigation is itself a violation.
Write down what happened, when, and who was involved, and keep copies of listings, ads, texts, emails, and applications. A documented account — the ad that said "no kids," the text quoting a higher deposit — is what turns a complaint into something an investigator can act on.
More on this topic: the Renting hub
NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice.