Fair Housing
Fair Housing Laws, Regulations and Ordinances
As Realtors®, your real estate activities are governed by fair housing laws, regulations and ordinances at the federal, state and local levels, as well as by the Realtor® Code of Ethics. It’s important to know the various sets of rules and how to structure your practice to ensure that you’re following the rules at all times. Realtors® and brokers may act with the best of intentions without realizing that their actions and words may be misinterpreted by consumers.
Realtors®, in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.
National Association of Realtors® Code of Ethics
National Association of Realtors® Code of Ethics, Article 10: Realtors® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Realtors® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. (Amended 1/14)
National Fair Housing Act
National Fair Housing Act, established in 1968, protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance or engaging in other housing-related activities. Additional protections apply to federally assisted housing.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation and all public and private places that are open to the public.
Pennsylvania Human Relations Act
Pennsylvania Human Relations Act prohibits discrimination in all housing transactions including but not limited to sales, rental, finance, providing reasonable accommodations or modifications to housing or commercial properties based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familiar status, disability, age (over 40 in housing), ancestry and pregnancy.
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission enforces state laws that prohibit discrimination and investigates housing discrimination complaints on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or HUD.
Fair Housing Resources
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PAR Fair Housing Guide
Review fair housing rules, guidelines, and much more to ensure the Fair Housing Act is being followed.
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Assistance Animals
PAR developed a flowchart and frequently asked questions to help Realtors® provide guidance to landlord clients in how they can best comply with the laws.
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Local DEI Activites
Learn about the activities that local associations' DEI Committees are doing.
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Find an Interpreter
Use the PA Department of Labor & Industry database to find an interpreter.
National Association of Realtors® Resources
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Fairhaven
This fair housing simulation is an innovative online training where agents work against the clock to sell homes in the fictional town of Fairhaven, while confronting discrimination in the homebuying process.
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Fair Housing Action Plan
NAR’s Fair Housing Action Plan (ACT Initiative) emphasizes (A)ccountability, (C)ulture Change and (T)raining in order to ensure America’s 1.4 million Realtors® are doing everything possible to protect housing rights in America.
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Fair Housing Declaration
Review, download and print the Fair Housing Declaration to post in your office or association.
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Implicit Bias Training
Confront and overcome unconscious biases that can prevent equal professional service in this online workshop.
Multicultural Real Estate Organizations
AREAA: Asian Real Estate Association – strives to promote sustainable homeownership opportunities in Asian American communities.
NAHREP – National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals – dedicated to advancing sustainable Hispanic homeownership.
NAREB – National Association of Real Estate Brokers - works to implement programs, events and solutions that are all geared to fight the low homeownership numbers in Black America.
Local chapters:
Central Pennsylvania Association of Realtist
Philadelphia Metropolitan Board of Realtist
National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals – works to increase homeownership in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community as it relates to housing and discrimination laws.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee Book Recommendations
- American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass by Douglas S. Massey
- Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
- Biased by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD
- Brave New Home by Diana Lind
- Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown
- Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
- Evicted by Matthew Desmond
- How to be An Anti-Racist by Ibram Kendi
- Inclusify by Dr. Stefanie Johnson
- Not in My Neighborhood by Anthony Pietila
- Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
- The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Attallah Shabazz Malcolm X
- The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America by Lawrence T. Brown
- The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated American by Richard Rothstein
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
- The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
- The Sum of Us by Heather McGee
- The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
- Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
Local Nondiscrimination Ordinances
According to information provided by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, these municipalities have local nondiscrimination ordinances that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation as of August 19, 2019. This is not a comprehensive list and it is best to contact individual local municipalities to determine whether a nondiscrimination ordinance has been enacted.
- Abington Township
- Allegheny County
- Allentown
- Bethlehem City
- Bucks County
- Cheltenham Township
- Conshohocken
- Doylestown
- East Norriton
- Easton
- Erie County
- Farrell
- Harrisburg
- Haverford
- Jenkintown Borough
- Lansdowne
- Lancaster City
- Lower Merion
- New Hope
- Newtown
- Philadelphia City
- Pittsburgh City
- Pittston
- Pottstown
- Reading
- Scranton
- Springfield Township
- State College
- Susquehanna Township
- Swarthmore
- Upper Merion Township
- West Chester
- Whitemarsh Township
- York City
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission
333 Market Street, 8th floor | Harrisburg, PA 17126
(717) 787-4410
Discrimination is illegal in PA. Get the facts about equal opportunity at www.phrc.pa.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who's protected by state and national Fair Housing Laws?
State and national Fair Housing Laws prohibit discrimination against any person based on: age, ancestry, color, disability, familial status, national origin, race, religion, sex, use of service or support animal. Many municipalities have identified additional protected classes by local ordinance, including but not limited to sexual orientation, gender identity and source of income.
For Realtors®, the National Association of Realtors® Code of Ethic goes beyond federal and state law, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
What is required when talking to clients in person versus the telephone or online?
Brokers should have policies in place regarding how prospective buyers are treated, whether they inquire in person, over the telephone or online. The policy should include questions of courtesy, initial information given, explanations of the firm’s policies and procedures, returning telephone calls, follow through, etc. This ensures equal treatment of all prospective clients and the utmost customer service.
Example: An African-American client arrives in the real estate office and is asked to wait in the lobby. A second client arrives and is immediately escorted to a Realtor’s® office. While it may appear the clients are not receiving equal service, the situation could be addressed by explaining to the first client, “We have several scheduled appointments this morning but if you would like to wait, one of our Realtors® should be able to meet with you.” When the second client arrives, the receptionist could say, “You’re right on time for your appointment. Your Realtor® is waiting for you in her office.”
Who should be pre-qualifed?
You should be financially qualifying all prospective buyers before discussing properties and ensuring that the same requirements are applied to all clients.
What questions can I ask when talking with a prospective client?
It’s helpful to have a standard form to assure that similar questions be asked of all prospects. Questions should be related to the type of real estate sought, features desired, locational preferences and their financial profile.
Example: In his first meeting with an Asian buyer, Realtor® A asks about the buyer’s expected budget and preferred neighborhoods. In his first meeting with a Hispanic buyer, he starts by showing them inexpensive townhomes. By not asking the same sorts of questions, Realtor® A has created a possible issue of discrimination.