Individuals who are denied residence in a rental home sometimes claim they are the victims of housing discrimination because of race, gender, national origin, or other factors. These charges are taken seriously by governmental bodies.

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) was adopted in 1968 to prevent discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national origin. It was later amended to add additional protected classes, including those preventing discrimination based on sex and those adding handicap (disability) and familial status as protected classes. In addition to federal law, some state laws and local ordinances provide various other protections based on categories such as source of income, marital status, sexual orientation, occupation, age, and criminal history.

To many, the law seems simple enough: do not discriminate. But each situation is fact-intensive and requires an individualized review of the circumstances. Unfortunately, the fair housing laws are not always straightforward or simple. We provide both training and defense regularly to clients throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.