It's Fair Housing Month... Do You Know Who's Protected Against Familial Status Discrimination?

A relative latecomer to federal housing discrimination law, "familial status" is a protected class that refers to the presence of at least one child under 18 years old. The goal of including "familial status" in the Fair Housing Act is to give tenants the right not to be turned away from housing or be treated differently just because they have kids.

Familial status sounds straightforward, but there's a bit more to it than meets the eye.

For example...

• Are families with adopted children protected just as much as those with biological children?
• Do parents in a household have to be married?
• Can the owner of a senior housing community legally turn away families with children?
• Are all rules that single out children automatically in violation of federal law?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in my recent Nolo.com article, entitled "Who's Protected Against Familial Status Discrimination?"