There are many owners who want to be involved in deciding who rents their property, but in our experience, the best course of action is to let your property management team handle the decision. The biggest reason for this is because Property Managers are aware of all the laws and regulations regarding discrimination in housing. Property Managers go through extensive, ongoing training to keep up to date with the laws and best practices. Below we provide an overview of the laws that we must follow when filling vacancies, and what owners will need to know if they are choosing their tenants.
Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act – This outlines the protected classes that cannot be discriminated against when selecting a tenant to rent a property. You can read about the Fair Housing Act here.
- Must follow federal fair housing laws and know the protected classes
- Must follow state fair housing laws
- Some cities have their own additional protected classes
There are many other laws that you would have to be aware of and well versed in when approving a potential tenant.
- Landlord tenant codes
- Condo rules
- Disclosure laws
- Ordinances
Animal and Pet Laws and Protections
- There are also federal animal and pet regulations and protections for service and support animals. This topic is covered on Ask Doug here.
All the laws are subject to change at any time, and it is essential to keep up with them. There is the potential to be sued if a law is broken or disregarded and a potential tenant is rejected.
It’s important to remember that the Property Management company was hired to be the experts, so let us ensure all laws are followed and remove the burden from you as an owner. Don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss our concierge rental management services at (808) 593-9826 or concierge@caronb.com
