Your Rights to Fair Housing (North Carolina) brochure

10 Your Rights to Fair Housing Housing Discrimination The Fair Housing Project T he Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina is available to provide information concerning a person's rights under the federal Fair Housing Act If you believe you are a victim of housing discrimination , contact us for assistance at 1 - 855 - 797 - 3247 A project staff person will discuss the situation with you and help you to decide what to do next Your response to us will be kept confidential When necessary , our staff can assist you in filing a complaint with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD , local human relations commissions , or in court Fair Housing Project L EGAL A ID OF N ORTH C AROLINA PO Box 26087 Raleigh , NC 27611 855 797 - FAIR 855 797 - 3247 wwwfairhousingncorg " The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government " Useful Tips What you should do if you believe you have experienced housing discrimination ? Contact the Fair Housing Project and report the discrimination to us ? Keep a journal of incidents of discrimination ? Write down what you experienced , including names , dates , addresses , rental terms , and any other details about your interaction ? Keep any documents related to the discrimination , including all emails and text communications ? Following the incident , you have one year to file an administrative complaint or two years to file a lawsuit in court PageExamples of Possible Discrimination The following statements may indicate possible discrimination " Sorry , but after we spoke on the phone we rented the last unit " " This is a Christian home " " You would feel more comfortable in a different neighborhood " " Because of noise , families with children have to live on the first floor " " I have to charge you a pet deposit for your service animal " " You may not install grab bars in the bathroom " " None of your kind of people live in this area " " We only rent to people who speak English " " Since you use a walker , you need additional insurance coverage " " We have a strict policy if you have an arrests history , you cannot rent here " " We only allow 2 people in a 1 - bedroom unit " Housing Discrimination The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on a person's ? Race any race ? Color any color ? Religion any religion or no religion ? National Origin any nationality ? Sex including gender identity ? Familial Status presence of children under 18 in family , pregnancy , or adults attempting to secure custody of children ? Disability handicap Prohibited Conduct Discrimination includes refusing to rent or sell , charging more , or offering different terms to someone because of his or her membership in one of the above groups Housing providers are prohibited from making discriminatory statements or publishing discriminatory advertising , as well as from making false statements about availability People with disabilities are also allowed to obtain reasonable accommodations to rules or policies to allow them to reside in housing and to make reasonable modifications to the property such as installing grab bars or a ramp , if needed because of their disability Harassment and Retaliation Harassing someone , or retaliating against or interfering with someone who is attempting to exercise their fair housing rights , is also prohibited What Properties are Covered The Fair Housing Act covers most residential units , such as ? Houses ? Apartments ? Condominiums ? Group homes ? Shelters homeless & domestic violence ? Migrant housing ? Long term transient lodging There are limited exceptions for some housing , including owner - occupied buildings of 4 or fewer units and some single - family homes In addition , religious organizations and private clubs who rent housing for non - profit purposes may favor their members Contact the Fair Housing Project for more information Who Must Comply The Fair Housing Act applies to a wide variety of housing transactions , including rentals , sales , home mortgages , appraisals , and homeowners insurance Landlords , property managers , real estate agents , lenders , insurance companies , homeowners associations , condo boards , and others are prohibited from discriminating against someone based on their membership in a one of the groups listed above Page