The Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, obtaining a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities. In the sale and rental of housing, the Fair Housing Acts makes it illegal to take any of the following actions because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin: 1) Refuse to rent or sell housing, 2) Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling, 3) Make, print or publish any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination, 4) Impose different sales prices or rental charges for the sale or rental of a dwelling, 5) Use different qualification criteria, such as income standards, application requirements, application fees, credit analyses, sale or rental approval procedures or other requirements, 6) Evict a tenant or a tenant’s guest, 7) Fail or delay performance of maintenance or repairs, and 8) Other additional acts included in the Act. For more information about the Fair Housing Act, visit: https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/fair_housing_act_overview.
You can also contact Rachel VanHauen at City Hall, 10 First St. NW, Mason City, Iowa or phone 641-421-3600.