Landlords, banks, real estate agents, condo associations and others don’t usually say things like, “You can’t live here because you are disabled.”
They are more likely to say something like:
- “You can’t live here because there’s no one to take care of you.”
- “I’d like to rent to you but my insurance will go up.”
- “I only rent to people who work.”
- “I can’t let you buy this condo because you have hearing challenges and won't hear if there's an emergency.”
- “We have a ‘no pets’ rule. You can’t have your guide dog (or other assistance animal) here.”
- “You won’t be able to get out of the apartment if there is a fire.”
- “Your wheelchair is going to damage the walls, carpet, floors, etc.”
- “I don’t like the look of wheelchair ramps.”
- “Have your psychiatrist call me and tell me what medications you take. Then I’ll decide whether I’ll rent to you.”
Or they do discriminatory things such as:
- Tell you that you need a co-signer when they don’t make people without disabilities have a co-signer.
- Give you a higher interest rate on your mortgage.
- Tell you a condo has already been sold when it hasn’t.
- Refuse to allow a tenant to use a pool or other part of the housing because they have a disability.
- Apply rules about things like noise differently to you than to others.
- Charge special fees, deposits or more rent because a tenant has a wheelchair or an assistance animal.
It’s discriminatory for a housing provider to ask you if you’re disabled, if you use prescription medication or if you have ever been hospitalized.
Do you think your housing provider discriminated against you because of your disability? Go to our What to Do page.
