Federal
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are jointly responsible for enforcing the federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of:
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- Sex
- National Origin
- Familial status
- Disability (sensory, mental or physical)
Washington State
In addition, Washington State prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of:
- Marital status
- Creed
- Use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability
- Sexual orientation (including gender identity)
- Veteran/military status
Your rights and responsibilities
All inhabitants of Washington have certain rights and responsibilities under the Law Against Discrimination (RCW 49.60). Under the law, everyone has the right to be free from discrimination at work, in housing, in a public accommodation or when seeking credit and insurance.
Reasonable accommodations
In addition to the requirements of the Fair Housing Act and the Law Against Discrimination, landlords are also subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when it comes to renting housing to individuals with physical disabilities.
Most apartments built since 1991 must meet ADA requirements. Structures built before 1991 require the landlord to make“reasonable accommodation”. This does not mean the landlord must pay to modify the unit to meet all the tenant’s desires. Rather, the landlord must allow the tenant (at tenant’s expense) to make modifications to the unit to meet his/her needs. At the conclusion of the rental period, the tenant must return the unit to its original condition, at the landlord’s discretion. Similarly, a landlord must allow a seeing eye dog in the unit of a visually impaired tenant, even though the lease contains a “no pets” clause.
More information
- Fair Housing Equal Opportunity for All (PDF)
- Are You a Victim of Housing Discrimination? (PDF)
- Equidad en la Vivienda Igualdad de Oportunidades para Todos (PDF)
- ¿Ha sido usted víctima de discriminación en la vivienda? (PDF)
- СПРАВЕДЛИВОЕ ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЕ ЖИЛЬЕМ Равньlевозможности для всех (PDF)
- Являетесь ли вьl жертвой дискриминации в отношениижилья? (PDF)
- GIA CU’ CÔNG BĂNG Co’ Hôi Bình Ðăng cho Moi Ngu’òi (PDF)
Have you experienced fair housing discrimination? Click here to
learn how to file a complaint.
