So you are ready to become a landlord. Good! I have heard an expression, you can make money from selling real estate but you get rich by owning it. Becoming a landlord is a great way to accumulate wealth and build your financial portfolio. So lets say that you have a Princeton rental ready to go and you are going to put in on the market to find a tenant. One of the first rules that landlords need to know is Fair Housing and how not to violate the Fair Housing Laws for the US and NJ.
So what is fair housing?
Fair housing is a legal term applied to federal, state, and municipal laws that prohibit landlords from refusing to rent property because the prospective tenant falls into one or more certain protected classes.
The Fair Housing Act forbids landlords to discriminate in choosing tenants because of their race, religion, ethnic origin, color, sex, physical or mental handicap, or family status.
Landlords cannot refuse to rent to a family with children. It is also illegal under the Fair Housing Act for landlords to harass, intimidate, threaten, interfere with, or evict a tenant because of the same factors. Furthermore, the same law prohibits the landlord from attempting to evict a tenant for filing a complaint or lawsuit charging the landlord with discrimination.
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 prohibits discrimination because of the race, ethnic origin, or color of the tenants. This federal law applies to all landlords without any exceptions.
Many states and cities have enacted and enhanced the federal laws. In New Jersey it is illegal to rent to people based on all of the following statuses:
race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sex, handicap, sexual preference, source of income for rent payment, or because you have children
If you are a landlord in Princeton and would like to review the State of NJ Fair Housing Act give me call. I will be happy to meet with you. – Julie (c) 609-977-5343
