Know your housing rights
Your housing rights, where you live
What federal law protects when you buy or rent a home, what your state adds, what discrimination can look like, and where to turn if it happens to you.
Checked against the sources below on October 6, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Everywhere in the US
What federal law protects
These apply in every state. Your state or city can add to them, never take away.
The Fair Housing Act
The federal Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, or disability when you rent or buy a home, get a mortgage, seek housing assistance, or take part in other housing activities. It applies to landlords, property managers, real estate agents, developers, lenders, appraisers, homeowners associations, and insurers. A narrow exemption covers some owners who sell or rent their own home without an agent, but discriminatory ads are never exempt.
HUD: Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing ActU.S. Department of Justice: The Fair Housing Act42 U.S.C. 3604 (Fair Housing Act, sale and rental)42 U.S.C. 3603 (exemptions)
Families with children
Familial status means a household with one or more children under 18 living with a parent, another person with legal custody, or someone that person has designated in writing. The protection also covers anyone who is pregnant or in the process of getting legal custody of a child. Housing that qualifies as senior housing under federal rules (62 and older, or 55 and older with at least 80 percent of occupied units housing someone 55 or older) may lawfully exclude families with children.
24 CFR 100.20 (definition of familial status)42 U.S.C. 3607 (housing for older persons)
Disability, including Section 504 and the ADA
The Fair Housing Act requires housing providers to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, and services, and to allow reasonable modifications to a home at the resident's expense, when a person with a disability needs them for equal use and enjoyment of the housing. In HUD-funded programs, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act also applies, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act covers housing programs run by state and local governments. HUD withdrew its 2013 and 2020 assistance-animal guidance effective September 17, 2025; the accommodation requirement in the statute itself did not change.
42 U.S.C. 3604 (Fair Housing Act, sale and rental)HUD: Report Housing DiscriminationFederal Register: HUD withdrawal of FHEO guidance documents (published Apr. 6, 2026)
Mortgages, appraisals, and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act
The Fair Housing Act covers mortgage lending and the appraisal of homes. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act separately bars lenders from discriminating because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, or age (if you are old enough to sign a contract), because some of your income comes from public assistance, or because you exercised your rights under the law. A lender must tell you what it decided within 30 days of a completed application, must give you the specific reasons if it turns you down, and must give you a free copy of every appraisal on a home loan at least three days before closing unless you waive that timing.
15 U.S.C. 1691 (Equal Credit Opportunity Act)42 U.S.C. 3605 (lending and appraisals)U.S. Department of Justice: The Fair Housing Act
Sexual orientation and gender identity: the current federal position
The Fair Housing Act bans sex discrimination but does not name sexual orientation or gender identity. In February 2021 HUD said it would treat discrimination against LGBTQ people as sex discrimination, relying on the Supreme Court's 2020 Bostock decision, which was an employment case. HUD withdrew that 2021 guidance effective September 17, 2025, and its September 16, 2025 enforcement memo says gender identity cases will no longer be a priority. In February 2025 HUD also stopped enforcing its 2016 gender identity rule for HUD-funded shelters and programs, and in May 2025 the CFPB withdrew its 2021 rule reading the Equal Credit Opportunity Act the same way. HUD's complaint page lists the seven classes above. Many states and cities name sexual orientation and gender identity in their own laws, and the state table on this page shows where.
Federal Register: HUD withdrawal of FHEO guidance documents (published Apr. 6, 2026)HUD memo: Fair Housing Act Enforcement and Prioritization of Resources (Sept. 16, 2025)HUD press release 25-026 (Feb. 7, 2025)Federal Register: CFPB withdrawal of guidance, 90 FR 20084 (May 12, 2025)HUD press release 21-021 (Feb. 11, 2021, archived)Bostock v. Clayton County (U.S. Supreme Court, 2020)HUD: Report Housing Discrimination
Harassment and retaliation
Federal rules treat quid pro quo harassment (for example, demanding sex in exchange for a lease or repairs) and hostile environment harassment as housing discrimination when they are based on a protected trait. The Fair Housing Act also makes it illegal to threaten, intimidate, or interfere with anyone using their fair housing rights, or to retaliate against someone for filing a complaint or helping with one.
24 CFR 100.600 (harassment)42 U.S.C. 3617 (interference, coercion, intimidation)HUD: Report Housing Discrimination
State by state
Sexual orientation and gender identity protections
Federal law does not name these, so where you live matters. Pick your state, or scan them all. Cities and counties can add protections where the state does not.
| State | Sexual orientation | Gender identity | Where to file |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Alabama has no state agency on HUD's partner list, so complaints go to HUD; Birmingham and Montevallo have local ordinances that cover housing. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | HUD (federal) |
| Alaska The state commission dropped its 2020 reading for housing in August 2022, but Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan have local ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Alaska State Commission for Human Rights |
| Arizona The Attorney General said in April 2023 that the state fair housing law's sex protections include both, and Phoenix, Tucson, and other cities name them in local law. | Sexual orientation:Covered by interpretation | Gender identity:Covered by interpretation | Arizona Attorney General, Civil Rights Division Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · Arizona Attorney General [1] |
| Arkansas State law bars cities from passing nondiscrimination ordinances broader than state law. | Sexual orientation:No state protection | Gender identity:No state protection | Arkansas Fair Housing Commission |
| California | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | California Civil Rights Department |
| Colorado | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Colorado Civil Rights Division |
| Connecticut | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 814c [1] |
| Delaware | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Delaware Division of Human and Civil Rights |
| District of Columbia | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | D.C. Office of Human Rights Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · D.C. Code 2-1402.21 (real estate transactions) [1] |
| Florida State law does not name either, and the state commission voted on November 24, 2025 to stop investigating these claims, but Orlando, Tampa, Miami-Dade County, and other local governments cover both. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Florida Commission on Human Relations Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] [3] · Florida Statutes 760.23 (Florida Fair Housing Act) [1] |
| Georgia Atlanta, Savannah, Decatur, Athens-Clarke County, and other local governments cover both in housing. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · City of Atlanta Human Relations Commission [1] |
| Hawaii | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Hawaii Civil Rights Commission Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Hawaii Revised Statutes 515-3 [1] |
| Idaho Boise, Meridian, Idaho Falls, Pocatello, Coeur d'Alene, and other cities have local ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Idaho Human Rights Commission |
| Illinois | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Illinois Department of Human Rights Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · 775 ILCS 5/3-102 (real estate transactions) [1] |
| Indiana Indianapolis-Marion County, Bloomington, South Bend, and other local governments have ordinances, though their scope varies. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Indiana Civil Rights Commission |
| Iowa Gender identity was removed from state law in 2025, and SF 579, signed March 10, 2026, bars cities from adding protected classes beyond state law. | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:No state protection | Iowa Office of Civil Rights Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Iowa Code 216.8 (2026) [1] · Iowa Legislature [1] |
| Kansas The state commission has accepted these housing complaints as sex discrimination since August 2020. | Sexual orientation:Covered by interpretation | Gender identity:Covered by interpretation | Kansas Human Rights Commission Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Kansas Legislative Research Department [1] |
| Kentucky The state commission says it accepts these claims, and Louisville, Lexington, and other cities have their own ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Covered by interpretation | Gender identity:Covered by interpretation | Kentucky Commission on Human Rights Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · Kentucky Commission on Human Rights [1] |
| Louisiana New Orleans and Shreveport have local ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Louisiana Attorney General, Fair Housing |
| Maine | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Maine Human Rights Commission Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, 4581-A [1] |
| Maryland | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Maryland Commission on Civil Rights |
| Massachusetts | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 151B, Section 4 [1] |
| Michigan Both were written into state civil rights law in 2023. | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Michigan Department of Civil Rights Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · Michigan Legislature [1] |
| Minnesota | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Minnesota Department of Human Rights Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Minnesota Statutes 363A.09 [1] |
| Mississippi Mississippi has no state agency on HUD's partner list, so complaints go to HUD; Jackson and a few smaller cities have local ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | HUD (federal) |
| Missouri Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia, and other cities have local ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Missouri Commission on Human Rights |
| Montana Bozeman, Helena, Missoula, Whitefish, and Butte-Silver Bow have local ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Montana Human Rights Bureau |
| Nebraska This rests on a 2020 statement by the state commission that we could not find on its current website, and Omaha has its own ordinance. | Sexual orientation:Covered by interpretation | Gender identity:Covered by interpretation | Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission |
| Nevada | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Nevada Equal Rights Commission |
| New Hampshire | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights |
| New Jersey | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | New Jersey Division on Civil Rights |
| New Mexico | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | New Mexico Human Rights Bureau |
| New York New York City, Buffalo, and Rochester add their own local protections on top of state law. | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | New York State Division of Human Rights Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · New York Executive Law 296 [1] |
| North Carolina Durham, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem have full local ordinances, while Charlotte, Raleigh, and other places have narrower ones. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | North Carolina Human Relations Commission |
| North Dakota This rests on a June 2020 department statement that is no longer on its website, so confirm with the department before relying on it. | Sexual orientation:Covered by interpretation | Gender identity:Covered by interpretation | North Dakota Department of Labor and Human Rights |
| Ohio The state commission's current page says it will apply state law as the courts interpret it, and Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and many other cities have their own ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Covered by interpretation | Gender identity:Covered by interpretation | Ohio Civil Rights Commission Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · Ohio Civil Rights Commission [1] |
| Oklahoma Norman has a full local ordinance, and Oklahoma City and Tulsa have narrower ones. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Oklahoma Attorney General, Office of Civil Rights Enforcement |
| Oregon | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, Civil Rights Division |
| Pennsylvania State regulations adopted in 2023 define sex to include both, and Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and many other towns also name them in local law. | Sexual orientation:Covered by interpretation | Gender identity:Covered by interpretation | Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · Pennsylvania Bulletin [1] |
| Rhode Island | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights |
| South Carolina Charleston's housing ordinance covers sexual orientation, which it defines to include gender identity, and Columbia, Mount Pleasant, and North Charleston have local protections too. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | South Carolina Human Affairs Commission Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · City of Charleston Code, Chapter 16 (Human Relations) [1] |
| South Dakota Brookings has a local ordinance. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | South Dakota Division of Human Rights |
| Tennessee State law bars local nondiscrimination ordinances broader than state law. | Sexual orientation:No state protection | Gender identity:No state protection | Tennessee Attorney General, Civil Rights Enforcement Division |
| Texas Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Plano, and a few other cities cover both, but Houston does not after voters repealed its 2014 ordinance in 2015. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | Texas Workforce Commission, Civil Rights Division Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · Texas Property Code, Chapter 301 [1] |
| Utah | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Utah Antidiscrimination and Labor Division Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Utah Code 57-21-5 [1] |
| Vermont | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Vermont Human Rights Commission Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Vermont Statutes, Title 9, 4503 [1] |
| Virginia | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Virginia Fair Housing Office Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · Code of Virginia 36-96.3 [1] |
| Washington | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Protected by state law | Washington State Human Rights Commission Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] · RCW 49.60.222 [1] · RCW 59.18.255 (source of income, rentals) [1] |
| West Virginia Charleston, Huntington, Morgantown, Wheeling, and other cities have local ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | West Virginia Human Rights Commission |
| Wisconsin State law covers sexual orientation only, and Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, and other cities cover gender identity locally. | Sexual orientation:Protected by state law | Gender identity:Some local protection | Wisconsin Equal Rights Division Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · Wisconsin Statutes 106.50 [1] |
| Wyoming No state agency has been assigned to enforce Wyoming's fair housing law, so complaints go to HUD; Casper, Jackson, and Laramie have local ordinances. | Sexual orientation:Some local protection | Gender identity:Some local protection | HUD (federal) Sources: Movement Advancement Project [1] [2] · U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Wyoming Advisory Committee policy brief (June 2025) [1] |
What it can look like
Warning signs of housing discrimination
It is rarely a sign on the door. More often it is a pattern you only notice afterward.
Steering
An agent or seller nudges you toward or away from neighborhoods because of your race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or family, for example by only showing homes in certain areas or saying a place is not right for people like you. Federal rules name this steering and treat it as illegal, including when it is done by exaggerating a neighborhood's drawbacks or leaving out its good points. Ask for listings by your own criteria, in writing, and keep the replies.
Mortgage and lending discrimination
A lender discourages you from applying, quotes you worse terms than you qualify for, or handles your file differently because of a protected trait, your marital status, your age, or because part of your income comes from public assistance. Both the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act cover home loans. If you are turned down, the lender must give you the specific reasons, either automatically or when you ask.
Appraisal bias
An appraisal comes in far below recent comparable sales, or the report leans on who lives in the neighborhood rather than on the home itself. The Fair Housing Act covers the appraisal of homes, and your lender must give you a free copy of every appraisal on your loan at least three days before closing unless you waive that timing. Read it closely and write down any comparable sales you think were missed.
Rental discrimination
A landlord says a unit is taken when it is still advertised, quotes different rent, deposits, or rules than other applicants get, or stops responding after meeting you. Telling someone a home is unavailable when it is available is specifically barred when it is based on a protected trait. Note the dates, names, and listing links as you go.
Turning away families with children
A seller, landlord, or homeowners association refuses families with children under 18, limits them to certain buildings or floors, or treats a pregnant applicant differently. Families with children are protected under the Fair Housing Act. Only housing that qualifies as senior housing under federal rules can lawfully exclude them.
Refusing a disability accommodation
A housing provider refuses a reasonable change to a rule, such as an assigned accessible parking space or an assistance animal in a no-pet building, or refuses to let you make reasonable modifications at your own expense. The Fair Housing Act requires both when they are needed for equal use of the home. Put your request in writing and keep a copy of the answer.
Discriminatory advertising
A listing says things like no children, adults only outside qualifying senior housing, or states a preference for a particular race, religion, or nationality. The Fair Housing Act bars ads that show a preference or limitation based on a protected trait. This rule applies even to owners who are otherwise exempt from the Act, so take a screenshot before the ad changes.
Harassment by a landlord or neighbor
Someone threatens you, uses repeated slurs, or demands sex in exchange for a lease or repairs, because of a protected trait. Federal rules treat this kind of harassment as housing discrimination, and the Fair Housing Act separately bars threats or interference with anyone using their fair housing rights. Keep a dated log, save messages, and report threats of violence to the police as well.
If it happens to you
Where to turn, in order
- 01
Write down what happened
Before anything else, make a timeline: dates, names, addresses, what was said, and who was there. Save emails, texts, listing screenshots, loan documents, and appraisals. Every agency below asks for these details, and they matter more the sooner you collect them.
- 02
File with HUD within one year
You can report housing discrimination to HUD online, by calling 1-800-669-9777, or by mailing the complaint form to your regional office. A complaint under the Fair Housing Act must be filed within one year of the last discriminatory act. Filing is free, HUD tries to help the two sides reach an agreement, and it may refer your complaint to a state or local partner agency. HUD's complaint form lists race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status; for sexual orientation or gender identity, also look at your state or city agency.
Go there - 03
File with your state or local agency
Most states, and some cities and counties, have their own civil rights agency, listed in the state table on this page. They enforce state and local laws that can cover more people than federal law, including sexual orientation and gender identity in many places. Deadlines vary and can be shorter than HUD's: for example, 180 days in Boston, 300 days in Philadelphia, and one year in New York City and Orlando, so check the agency's own page.
Go there - 04
Contact a private fair housing organization
Local nonprofit fair housing organizations work with people who have faced housing discrimination and can help you decide where to file. The National Fair Housing Alliance keeps a directory of member organizations you can search by location, and it also has its own intake form for reporting discrimination.
Go there - 05
Report a lender to the CFPB
If the problem involves a mortgage lender or other creditor, you can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau online or by calling (855) 411-2372. The CFPB sends it to the company, and most companies respond within 15 days. A lawsuit under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act can be brought up to five years after the violation.
Go there - 06
Talk with a lawyer about a lawsuit
You can sue in federal or state court under the Fair Housing Act within two years of the last discriminatory act, whether or not you filed with HUD, and the time HUD spends on your complaint does not count against those two years. Signing a HUD conciliation agreement, or starting a hearing before a HUD judge, can close off a separate federal lawsuit, so understand that choice before you make it. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the court may appoint one.
Go there
Questions
Common questions
Does federal law protect me from housing discrimination because I am LGBTQ?
The Fair Housing Act bans sex discrimination but does not name sexual orientation or gender identity. HUD treated LGBTQ discrimination as sex discrimination from February 2021 until it withdrew that guidance effective September 17, 2025, and its current complaint page lists only the seven federal classes. Many states and cities name sexual orientation and gender identity in their own fair housing laws, so check your state in the table on this page.
How do I know what my state covers?
Find your state in the table. Explicit means the state's fair housing law names the protection. Interpreted means the state agency or attorney general has said it reads sex discrimination to include it; that reading can be reversed without a new law, as happened in Alaska in 2022 and Florida in 2025.Partial means there is no statewide protection but some cities or counties have their own ordinances. None means we found no statewide or dependable local protection.
Can a seller refuse to sell to me because of my race, religion, or family?
Not when an agent or broker is involved, and not through a discriminatory ad. Federal law has a narrow exemption for some owners who sell or rent their own single-family home without using an agent, and for small owner-occupied buildings of up to four units, but even those owners may not publish ads that show a preference based on a protected trait. State and local laws often cover more.
My mortgage was denied. What am I entitled to know?
Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a lender must tell you its decision within 30 days of a completed application. If it turns you down, it must give you the specific reasons, either automatically or when you ask in writing. You are also entitled to a free copy of every appraisal done for a home loan, at least three days before closing unless you waive that timing.
Is my agent allowed to tell me which neighborhoods are right for me?
An agent can share facts you ask for, such as commute times, prices, and school boundaries. An agent may not steer you toward or away from areas because of your race, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or family, or because of who lives there. Federal rules list discouraging a buyer by exaggerating drawbacks or leaving out a neighborhood's good points as steering.
What if I think my appraisal was low because of race or neighborhood?
The Fair Housing Act covers home appraisals. Get your copy from your lender, write down the comparable sales you think were missed, and keep any notes the appraiser made about the neighborhood. In September 2025 HUD withdrew several guidance documents and said it would no longer prioritize what it called appraisal bias cases, so a state agency, a private fair housing group, or a lawyer is also worth contacting alongside a HUD complaint.
Can a landlord or seller retaliate if I complain?
No. The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to threaten, intimidate, or interfere with anyone for using their fair housing rights or for helping someone else, and HUD says retaliation is illegal even after an investigation ends. If it happens, it can be its own complaint.
When does it help to talk with a lawyer?
A lawyer helps most when a deadline is close, when you have lost money or a home and want damages, when a HUD or state agency offers a settlement and you want to understand what you would give up, or when you are thinking about suing. Under the Fair Housing Act you have two years to sue, and signing a HUD conciliation agreement can close off a separate federal lawsuit.
Work with someone who knows this ground
Inclusive agents, lenders and real estate attorneys, each listed with the source for every claim about them.