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Fair Housing Act: what it means

The Fair Housing Act is the federal law that makes it illegal to refuse to sell or rent a dwelling, or to discriminate in its terms, because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status (having children), national origin or disability. It applies to landlords, real estate agents and managers, and also to banks and lenders when their practices make housing or credit unavailable for those reasons.

In Spanish it is

Ley de Vivienda Justa

Also written as: fair housing · housing discrimination · FHA (civil rights)

Two women and a girl laugh together at the bus stop.

Verified on October 16, 2026

2 official sources

See the whole dictionary

The full explanation

National origin covers your language and the country you come from, regardless of immigration status. If you believe you were discriminated against, you can file a complaint with HUD at no cost; many states add protections.

An example

A property manager tells Elena he does not rent to families with children. That is familial status discrimination under the Fair Housing Act, and Elena can file a complaint with HUD.

You will see it in…

The Equal Housing Opportunity logo in ads and offices
aquitucasa's footer (“We support equal housing opportunity”)
HUD's complaint form (Form 903)

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

More guides that use “Fair Housing Act”

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

1. U.S. Code (govinfo) · 42 U.S.C. § 3604: discrimination in the sale or rental of housing and other prohibited practices (external site) · in English · Verified on October 16, 2026
2. U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division · The Fair Housing Act (external site) · in English · Verified on October 16, 2026