The Federal Fair Housing Act protects your right to rent an apartment, buy a home, obtain a mortgage, or purchase homeowner’s insurance free from discrimination based on:
- Disability
- Race
- Color
- National Origin
- Religion
- Sex
- Familial Status
Cities and counties may have other laws to protect these and additional groups.
It is illegal for sellers or rental providers to do any of the following because you are part of any of the protected groups:
- Refuse to rent or sell housing or negotiate for housing
- Make housing unavailable
- Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental
- Provide a person different housing services or facilities
- Produce ads, statements, or notices that show a preference, limitation or discrimination in sale or rental
- Use different qualification criteria or applications, procedures, such as income standards, application requirements, application fees, credit analyses, sale or rental approval procedures
- Evict a tenant or a tenant’s guest
- Harass a person
- Fail or delaying maintenance or repairs
- Limit privileges, services or facilities of a dwelling
- Assign a person to a particular building or neighborhood or section of a building or neighborhood
If you believe your fair housing rights have been violated, you can:
- File a complaint online with HUD
- Call HUD at 1-800-669-9777
People who are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY may call HUD through the toll-free Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.
Contact Disability Rights Texas to help you with any of the following:
- Additional information or advice on filing HUD complaints
- Understanding your rights
- Providing rights training to your community group
- Referral to community resources
Call the DRTx Housing team at 1-833-212-4212.
DRTx Sign Language Intake Lines: 1-866-362-2851 or 512-271-9391.
The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government.
Publication Code: HS24
www.DRTx.org
Statewide Intake: 1-800-252-9108
Sign Language Video Phone: 1-866-362-2851
Purple 2 Video Phone: 512-271-9391
Online Intake available 24/7: intake.DRTx.org
Disclaimer: Disability Rights Texas strives to update its materials on an annual basis, and this handout is based upon the law at the time it was written. The law changes frequently and is subject to various interpretations by different courts. Future changes in the law may make some information in this handout inaccurate.
The handout is not intended to and does not replace an attorney’s advice or assistance based on your particular situation.
To request this handout in ASL, Braille, or as an audio file, contact us.