Fair Housing: Key Considerations for Property Managers

As a property manager, you're uniquely positioned to ensure that your properties offer everyone fair housing and equal opportunity. And yes, it can feel like an overwhelming undertaking, but the good news is that there are plenty of ways to ensure your property remains compliant.

In this blog post, we'll dive into how you can ensure every resident in your building enjoys the same rights without discrimination.

Making changes as small as implementing specific policies can help create an environment where everyone can access safe and suitable homes.

Understand Fair Housing Laws

Fair housing laws protect people from all walks of life from discrimination when renting or buying a home.

For example, in the United States, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) enforces federal fair housing laws that prohibit discrimination based on the following:

• Race
• Color
• National origin
• Religion
• Sex
• Familial status
• Disability

These laws apply to any type of dwelling, including apartments, other rental properties, and sale properties.HUD is responsible for investigating housing discrimination claims and educating landlords and tenants about their rights under the law.

As a property manager, understanding these laws is critically important. You must ensure compliance with the law and equal opportunities for all potential renters.

Property management software like ExactEstate can help property managers be sure that they comply with fair housing laws. This software keeps track of every tenant, their contact info, and any special requirements they may have due to disability.

This way, you no longer need to worry about managing these items separately. With this data stored securely in one place, you have an audit trail that can help prove compliance if needed.

Plus, property management software helps streamline your processes so everything runs more smoothly and efficiently while keeping your tenant records secure and confidential.

Treat All Tenants Equally and Respectfully

No matter how many tenants you manage, the goal should always be to foster an equitable environment for everyone.

As a property manager, it's your job to treat all tenants with fairness and respect. Even with good intentions, managing multiple tenants while ensuring equal treatment for everyone can be challenging.

First, you must clearly define policies and procedures for handling tenant requests and resolving disputes. Consistently apply these policies to all tenants, regardless of background or identity. This will help create a sense of fairness and respect among all tenants on your property.

It would help if you also clarified the expectations of rental agreements or contracts for both parties involved. Your job as a property manager continues beyond simply writing out policies and procedures. You must also enforce them consistently across the board.

If you spot any discrimination against any tenant, address the situation immediately and ensure that it doesn't happen again. Taking decisive action when injustice is present can help ensure fairer housing on your property.

Creating an Inclusive Environment

In addition, creating an inclusive environment on your property is critical to respecting all tenants. This means going beyond simply avoiding discrimination.

Creating an inclusive environment also means actively championing diversity by ensuring everyone feels welcome in their home. To do this, reach out to members of different communities living on your property to get their perspectives. Then use this feedback to inform changes you could make to make everyone feel more included.

Additionally, invite different groups onto your property for events such as movie nights or potlucks. This way, everyone can come together as one harmonious community. 

Provide Equal Access to Your Services

The next thing you can do is to ensure everyone has equal access to your services.

This means ensuring all tenants have the same information about rental policies and procedures, regardless of their language or where they're from. Provide translated materials or arrange for a translator so everyone knows their rights and obligations as renters.

Making reasonable accommodations for any disabled tenants and responding quickly to maintenance requests and other work orders also creates an equitable environment on your property. This will guarantee that all tenants can get the same level of service.

Furthermore, leveraging technology can help ensure fair housing on your property.

For instance, using ExactEstate allows tenants to submit maintenance requests or contact you quickly. This makes it easier for everyone to stay in touch and get the answers they need without being disadvantaged.

Treating all tenants fairly and equitably can create a more inclusive atmosphere on your property. This will not only make for happier renters but it will also help protect you as a property manager from potential discrimination lawsuits.

Avoid Discrimination in Advertising Practices

Discrimination can happen in a variety of ways, including in advertising.

When marketing your property online or in print, it is essential to know your language. Use neutral language that doesn't imply discriminatory practices, such as limiting access to particular tenants based on their protected classes. Refrain from using words like "luxury" or "exclusive," and make sure all ads are free of offensive comments about any particular group.

Another way to ensure fair housing practices is to only advertise property available for rent once the entire unit is ready for occupancy. You can track the progress of renovations and repairs using property management software like ExactEstate, so you know when a unit is ready to be listed.

Lastly, remember that it's illegal in many states to advertise your property on sites like Craigslist or Facebook without including an Equal Housing Opportunity logo or statement.

This symbol lets people know that everyone is welcome regardless of their background or identity, helping protect you and your tenants from potential discrimination claims.

Be Aware of Unintentional Discrimination

Speaking of discrimination, it's essential to be aware of unintentional discrimination that can occur day-to-day. For instance, denying a rental application based on any protected class is illegal.

You should also be conscious of different cultures and how they interact. Avoid making assumptions about people or their behavior, and remember to treat everyone as an individual deserving of respect, regardless of their background.

You also need to understand that not all tenants will communicate with you the same way — some may prefer talking over the phone, while others prefer to text or email. Be sure to provide them with multiple contact options so they can reach out for help whenever they need it.

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in Property Management With ExactEstate

Making sure your property is a fair and equitable environment for all tenants is one of the most critical responsibilities of any property manager. Following the steps we've outlined in this post will help ensure that your tenants have a better living experience overall.

ExactEstate was custom-built by property managers to make the day in the life of a property manager easier.  Our system makes it easy to stay compliant with fair housing laws and track important tenant information, leaving you more time to focus on creating a great living experience for all of your tenants.  Schedule a demo today.