Renting, buying, a mortgage, or a disability accommodation — pick your situation and see what the federal Fair Housing Act covers, who it protects, and the free, official process for filing a complaint with HUD. Facts and next steps only, each linked to the source.
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in most housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (which HUD applies to include sexual orientation and gender identity), familial status, and disability. It reaches far more than an outright refusal: setting different rents, deposits, or terms, falsely claiming a unit is unavailable, steering people toward or away from neighborhoods, discriminatory advertising, and unequal treatment in mortgage lending are all covered. For people with disabilities, it also requires reasonable accommodations and allows reasonable modifications.
You can file a housing-discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at no cost, online, by phone, by mail, or through a HUD-approved state or local agency. You generally have up to one year after the discrimination to file the administrative complaint; going straight to federal court carries its own, longer deadline. Documenting what happened — dates, who was involved, and copies of ads, texts, emails, and applications — makes a complaint far easier to investigate. This tool links to HUD's official filing pages and the statute.
Disclaimer: NotALawyer.com provides general legal information, not legal advice, and is not a law firm. Using a tool does not create an attorney–client relationship. Laws change and vary by situation — verify anything important with the official source or a licensed attorney in your state.