Fair Housing
Last updated
Every person is entitled to the same service, the same information and the same effort, regardless of who they are. That is the law, and it is also the standard this practice holds itself to.
The commitment
This practice complies with the federal Fair Housing Act, the Texas Fair Housing Act (Chapter 301 of the Texas Property Code), and the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. Housing is offered and services are provided without discrimination on the basis of:
- Race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locs and twists
- Colour
- Religion
- Sex
- National origin
- Familial status — having children under 18, being pregnant, or being in the process of securing custody
- Disability
What this means in practice
The commitment is easier to judge by conduct than by a statement, so here is the conduct it requires:
- The same properties are shown, and the same information given, to every qualified person who asks.
- No one is steered toward or away from a neighbourhood on the basis of who lives there. Questions like whether an area is good for a particular kind of family cannot be answered — not as evasion, but because answering them is unlawful steering. Objective data on schools, crime statistics, demographics and commute times is publicly available and you will be pointed to the sources so you can weigh them yourself.
- Advertising describes the property, never the kind of person who ought to live in it.
- Reasonable accommodations and modifications for a person with a disability are supported, including assistance animals, which are not pets and are not subject to pet restrictions or pet fees.
- Communication happens in whatever way works for you, including in another language through an interpreter where one is needed.
Local protections can go further
Some Texas cities protect characteristics beyond the seven above — sexual orientation, gender identity and source of income among them. Where a local ordinance is broader than state or federal law, the broader rule is the one followed.
If you believe you have been discriminated against
You can file a complaint, and doing so costs nothing. Complaints can be filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or with the Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division, which enforces the Texas Fair Housing Act. You do not need a lawyer, and it is unlawful for anyone to retaliate against you for filing.
Federal complaints must generally be filed within one year of the conduct complained of, so it is worth acting promptly.
If the concern is about this practice, please also raise it directly using the contact details at the bottom of this page — but that is an addition to your right to file a complaint, never a substitute for it or a step you need to take first.
Questions about this page
Get in touch directly — whichever way is easiest for you.