Rhode Island Legal Services
56 Pine Street, Fourth Floor
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 274-2652For information, send email to:
bcopple@rils.org
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"Fair
housing" refers to practices that comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act,
originally passed in 1968, and similar state and local laws. The Fair Housing
Act, as amended, prohibits discrimination in housing and related transactions on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability and
familial status (presence or anticipated presence of children under the age of
18 years old in a home).
The Act covers al kinds of housing-related transactions, including but not
necessarily limited to rentals, home sales, mortgage lending, homeowner's
insurance, home improvement and zoning.
Not all "unfair" practices by a landlord or someone else involved
in a housing-related transaction are covered by the Fair Housing Act. For
example, a landlord who fails to make repairs or otherwise live up to his
obligations under a lease, or a real estate agent who commits a violation of
state rules of agent ethics, may be acting "unfairly," but he or she
is not in violation of the Fair Housing Act unless their actions (or failure to
act) is discriminatory on one of the seven bases listed above.
For more detailed information, please refer to the specifics of the Federal
Fair Housing Act or the Rhode Island General Laws concerning housing
discrimination.
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