Housing Discrimination — know your rights
Landlords, sellers, agents, and lenders cannot refuse to rent or sell, quote different terms, steer you to certain neighborhoods, or lie about availability based on race. This covers advertising, mortgage lending, and homeowners insurance too.
Your rights
- Equal access to any listing you can afford
- The same rent, deposit, and lease terms offered to others
- Honest answers about unit availability
- Freedom from steering toward or away from neighborhoods
How to file with HUD
1 year from the incident to file with HUD; 2 years to sue in federal court.
How to document it
- Screenshot listings the moment you see them — 'it's taken' is provable
- Have a friend of a different race inquire about the same unit (testing is legal)
- Keep every text and email with the landlord or agent
- Local fair-housing organizations will often investigate for free
Document it before you forget the details
Memory fades and deadlines pass. IronRecord timestamps and encrypts your evidence, counts down your filing window, and generates a court-ready report in one click. Free to start.
Start documenting — freeGuides on housing discrimination
What Counts as Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act?
The Fair Housing Act bans discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. Here are the types of HUD housing violations, the legal standards, and how to recognize one.
11 min readCan a Landlord Refuse to Rent to Families with Children? (Know Your Rights)
No. Familial status is protected under the federal Fair Housing Act. Learn the senior housing exception and how to file a complaint with HUD.
8 min readCan a Landlord Deny You Housing Because of Your Race?
Illegal under the Fair Housing Act. Learn what counts as racial housing discrimination, how to spot it, and how to file a HUD complaint.
8 min readHow to Request a Reasonable Accommodation for a Disability in Housing
Need your landlord to allow a service animal, an accessible parking space, or a grab bar in the bathroom? Here is your right to a reasonable accommodation, how to request one, what documentation the landlord can ask for, and what to do if they say no.
8 min readWhat to Do If Your Landlord Retaliates After You Assert Your Fair Housing Rights
Raising rent or starting an eviction after you report discrimination is illegal retaliation under federal law. Here's how to respond and file a complaint.
8 min readHow to File a Housing Discrimination Complaint (Step by Step)
You have one year to file a housing discrimination complaint with HUD — and two years to sue. Here's what counts as discrimination, how to file for free, and what happens after you do.
8 min readThe EEOC Deadline Explained: How Long You Really Have to File
You have 180 days — sometimes 300 — to file with the EEOC. Find out which deadline applies to you and why waiting quietly kills strong cases.
7 min readOther rights guides
This guide is general legal information, not legal advice. Laws and deadlines vary by state and change over time; confirm details for your situation with a civil rights attorney. IronRecord uses conservative deadline estimates so you file with time to spare.