What You Should Know About Housing Discrimination

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?
For more information

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
marital status
number of children in the family
age
mental disability
physical disability
learning disability
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
An advertisement says "no children"
You are evicted because the landlord didn't like your visitors
You pay more rent than other tenants

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."

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 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
A building superintendent may not withhold maintenance or other services unless you perform sexual favors. A property owner or building superintendent may not make offensive remarks or make it uncomfortable for you to live in your apartment on account 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.

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.
A landlord may require:
- a certain amount of income
- credit references
- a security deposit of up to two months rent.

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 (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?

To file a discrimination complaint, contact one of the agencies listed here. Better yet, consult a lawyer first who may be able to go to court for you immediately.

Connecticut Commission On Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO):
1057 Broad Street
Bridgeport, CT 06604
579-6246

1229 Albany Avenue
Hartford, CT 06112
566-7710

100 Broadway
Norwich, CT 06360
886-5703

50 Linden Street
Waterbury, CT 06702
596-4237

Commission on Equal Opportunities:
200 Orange Street, 1st Floor
New Haven, CT 06511
946-8160

For more information

Statewide Legal Services:

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 CT Legal Services, Greater Hartford Legal Assistance, New Haven Legal Assistance Association, and Statewide Legal Services.

The information in this pamphlet is based on the law as of July, 2000. 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.