Last modified on January 8th, 2016
By Stephanie Vernon

We hosted a fantastic webinar today with Grace Hill, featuring Nadeen Green, Senior Counsel from For Rent Media Solutions and co-presenter, Doug Chasick, “The Apartment Doctor.” The webinar was so popular that we reached our maximum attendance!

Nadeen and Doug covered many great topics on the evolving and expanding issues related to Fair Housing. Executives and managers learned what to look for as they ensure compliance across their organization.

Here’s the recorded webinar and the presentation slides so that you can reference this great content at your convenience.

Click here to register for our next webinar, Secrets Of Successful Property Management Companies, featuring industry expert David Meit.

Video

Slides

Q&A
Could it be a violation of the federal fair housing laws to have a community that will only rent to individuals 21 and over?
Some states protect “age” and depending on how they define that – old, young, any age – there it could be a problem. Because of the familial status protection, those 21 and over folks would have to be accepted even if they have children in all states.

What happens if we have a current resident whom is hoarding. Can they be asked to leave because of this?
No, a resident cannot be asked to leave because of hoarding, no more than a resident could be asked to leave because they are hearing impaired. If the condition of the premises becomes a risk to the resident or neighbors, then there is a duty on the part of the landlord to engage in an interactive dialogue with the hoarder and institute a plan for remedial activity. Note that this dialogue and plan execution could take days if not weeks or even months.

Are there requirements that must be considered by the local ordinance or codes when considering exotic type animals?
If it is against the law/code to have certain animals, then it is not reasonable to require the landlord to accept such. The person with an exotic service animal would have to see if a waiver is possible from the authorities and if that does happen, then the landlord would likely need to accept such.

If a resident informs you they have MCS (Mulitple Chemical Sensitivity), do you take it at face value? Do you have a right to ask for documentation?
Since they have disclosed the nature of the disability (which an applicant/prospect/resident is never required to do), and since it is not a visible disability, confirming that should be reasonable.

Is there a list of illnesses that are considered disabilities under Fair housing?
This is the definition from the HUD.gov website:
“Federal laws define a person with a disability as “Any person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; has a record of such impairment; or is regarded as having such an impairment.”

In general, a physical or mental impairment includes hearing, mobility and visual impairments, chronic alcoholism, chronic mental illness, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex, and mental retardation that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include walking, talking, hearing, seeing, breathing, learning, performing manual tasks, and caring for oneself.”