I am often asked whether or not a landlord is able to legally decline to rent to a tenant that is receiving “rent assistance.” I believe that the primary reason that landlords are unsure of the answer to this question is because Wisconsin’s Open Housing Act (Sec. 106.50, Wis. Stats.) prohibits a landlord from discriminating against a tenant or a prospective tennat based on their ”lawful source of income.” For more information on Wisconsin’s protected classes you should read my prior post entitled “FAIR HOUSING – Part 1: What Are The Protected Classes?” Read the rest of this entry »
Posts Tagged Fair Housing / Discrimination
Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8 Rent Assistance) Are Not A “Lawful Source of Income” In Wisconsin
Aug 13
I was recently reviewing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Fiscal Year 2008 Annual Report on Fair Housing. Not exactly beach reading but then the weather here in Milwaukee isn’t exactly conducive to going to the beach.
HUD and its various Fair Housing Assistance Programs (FHAP) agencies handle all complaints regarding discrimination related to the federal protected classes. To see a list if the 7 federal protected classes please refer to my earlier post here. The report contained some very interesting statistics. You can review the entire Annual Report here. (Be patient as it is a large document and takes awhile to download) Read the rest of this entry »
A large part of my law practice is meeting with and consulting with landlords and management companies with regard to how to avoid trouble. This would include assisting them with the drafting of rental documents and guiding them on the proper notice to use when terminating a tenancy. It also includes consulting with clients with regard to fair housing / discrimination issues.
I enjoy this consulting work as it typically occurs before the landlord is embroiled in a dispute or litigation – thus my client tends to be in a better mood at the consulting stage which puts me in a better mood also. Read the rest of this entry »