What You Should Know About Housing Discrimination

What You Should Know About Housing Discrimination

May 2008
Are tenants protected by law against housing discrimination?
What is housing discrimination?
How can I protect myself from discrimination?
What are some signs of discrimination?
Are some landlord requirements legal?
What can be done if I have been discriminated against?
What information do I need to file a complaint?
Where do I file a discrimination complaint?
Where can I go if I have questions, need help, or want to get a lawyer?

Are tenants protected by law against housing discrimination?

Yes. There are laws that protect your rights. It is illegal to discriminate against you because you are "different" or belong to a certain group of people. This means that you cannot be discriminated against because of your:

race
creed
color
national origin
ancestry
sexual orientation
sex/gender
marital status
number of children in the family
age
mental disability
physical disability
learning disability
legal source of income, or
participation in Section 8 or a Rental Assistance Program

With only limited exceptions, this law applies to landlords, real estate agents, and others who participate in the rental or sale of housing.

What is housing discrimination?

Housing discrimination is when an individual or family is treated differently when trying to buy, rent, lease or sell a home, apartment or property because of certain certain characteristics or conditions. Housing discrimination may take many forms. For example...

A landlord refuses to rent you an apartment or charges you more rent because of your race or religion.
An advertisement says "no children" - or landlord says you have too many children.
A landlord refuses to accept Section 8 or a state security deposit guarantee.

Families with Children
If you are a tenant with children, or even if you are a tenant who is pregnant or expecting to get legal custody of a child, a landlord may not charge you more rent or a higher security deposit than he would charge other tenants. It is illegal for a landlord to advertise an apartment as "adults preferred," or to say, "We don't accept kids." The landlord also cannot steer families with kids to certain apartments or to one building in a complex.

Legal Source of Income
A landlord may not reject you as a tenant because you receive State welfare (TFA) or child support, or are in the Section 8 program, or RAP (Rental Assistance Program), or get another kind of public assistance or housing subsidy. The landlord may not subject you to more paperwork or stricter credit or income requirements than other applicants.

Disability
A landlord must allow you, at your own expense, to make changes (modifications) in an apartment to accommodate your disability. For example, a tenant in a wheelchair cannot be stopped from installing grab bars in a bathroom. In some cases, the landlord may be required to pay for modifications you need - call Statewide Legal Services at 1-800-453-3320 or (860) 344-0380. If you have a mental disability, the landlord may have to make reasonable accommodations in the rules to allow you to stay in the apartment successfully.

Race
A landlord, real estate broker or property manager may not discourage you from living in a particular neighborhood, or assign you to a particular building or floor because of the racial background of tenants already living there.

Sex/Gender
A landlord cannot discriminate because of gender. This means a landlord cannot say he does not rent to women (or men). A landlord or building superintendent, etc. may not withhold maintenance or other services unless you perform sexual favors. A landlord or building superintendent, etc. may not make offensive remarks or make it uncomfortable for you to live in your apartment because of your sex.

NOTE: If you are discriminated against when buying a house, condominium or other property,
call Connecticut Fair Housing Center for an informational pamphlet. (860) 247-4400 or toll free at 1-888-247-4401

How can I protect myself from discrimination?

Most property managers and owners know that housing discrimination is illegal, so it is often very subtle. Many times consumers never realize they have been denied their housing choice. Here are a few suggestions on how you can protect yourself when looking to rent an apartment or house.

Call before visiting the apartment
Bring a friend or witness along
Ask when the apartment is available
Get as much information as possible and write it down (names of whom you spoke to, dates, addresses, size, rental terms, security deposit, etc).

If you are denied housing, ASK WHY.

What are some signs of discrimination?

You can suspect discrimination when the story you are told in person is different from the information given on the phone. For example...

The sign is still up although you are told the apartment or house has been rented. (Note: some places do display permanent "For Rent" signs).
The landlord takes your application, says you will be called after references are checked, but after a few days you are not contacted.
The landlord refuses to accept a deposit.
The landlord tells you that you must give an outrageous rental fee or security deposit.
You are told the apartment has just been rented.

Are some landlord requirements legal?

A landlord may have many requirements other than those relating to race, religion, sex, nationality, disabilities, etc. Most of the time, the following are legal IF the landlord applies the same requirements, standards, and conditions to everyone equally.

A landlord may refuse to rent to people with pets.(with the exception of service animals)
A landlord may require:
- credit references,
- a security deposit of up to two months rent,
- references from previous landlords.

What can be done if I have been discriminated against?

If you think you are a victim of housing discrimination, it is important to act quickly. Call the Connecticut Fair Housing Center at (860) 247-4400 or 1-888-247-4401. You may also call Statewide Legal Services at 1-800-453-3320 or (860) 344-0380. It may be possible to get a court order to stop a landlord from renting the apartment you want to someone else. Or, you may be able to get compensation for your embarrassment at having been rejected, or for the extra expenses in finding other housing. You can file a discrimination complaint (see below).

What information do I need to file a complaint?

As soon as you think you have been discriminated against, you should write down what happened. Be sure to include basic information such as:

the date,
the name of the person you spoke to,
the address of the apartment,
the type of building the apartment was in,
the reasons you were given for not receiving the apartment,
the names and addresses of any witnesses.

Where do I file a discrimination complaint?

You must file a discrimination complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO). In general, you must file no later than 180 days after the alleged violation, but you should file as soon as possible to protect your rights. Call the CHRO or visit its website to find out how to file a complaint. (You can consult a lawyer first who may be able to go to court for you immediately.)

Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO)

CHRO Fair Housing Unit
21 Grand Street, Hartford, CT 06106
(860) 541-3403
Toll free in CT: 1-800-477-5737 ext. 3403
(860) 541-3459 TDD for the hearing impaired.

To file a housing discrimination complaint, contact the The Connecticut Fair Housing Center may be able to help you in filing the complaint with the CHRO. Or, you can consult a lawyer first who may be able to go to court for you immediately.

Where can I go if I have questions, need help, or want to get a lawyer?

Call the Connecticut Fair Housing Center. The Connecticut Fair Housing Center may be able to help you file the complaint with the CHRO and/or provide you with a lawyer.

Connecticut Fair Housing Center

Hartford Office:      221 Main St., Suite 401, Hartford, CT 06106                     860-247-4400
New Haven Office: 900 Chapel St., 10th Floor, New Haven, CT 06510          203-772-3247

Toll Free: 1-888-247-4401

Call Statewide Legal Services at 1-800-453-3320 (Central CT & Middletown). (860) 344-0380 (All other regions). Se habla español. All calls are confidential.

This pamphlet was produced by the Legal Assistance Resource Center of CT in cooperation with Connecticut Legal Services, Greater Hartford Legal Aid, New Haven Legal Assistance Association, and Statewide Legal Services.

The information in this pamphlet is based on laws in CT as of May 2008. We hope that the information is helpful. It is not intended as legal advice for an individual situation. If you need further help and have not done so already, please call Statewide Legal Services (see above) or contact an attorney.