Lisa A. Kelly, Esq.
3 Reminders for Respondents
Avoiding Potential Fair Housing Violations
Forest Of The Rain Productions reached out to Lisa A. Kelly, Esq.a Civil Rights Officer at the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights to discuss Important facts about housing discrimination we need to know.
Last time we discussed three considerations of complainants who initiate complaints of housing discrimination against their housing providers. In this installment, we will review three reminders for respondents to successfully avoid the potential interaction pitfalls that could lay the groundwork for a housing discrimination complaint in the future.
1. RETAIN all tenant documentation.
● Although many of us retain business documents for three years as a general rule, housing providers should retain pertinent documentation related to a tenant. This practice will come in handy when a tenant does not remember you advised him of the reasonable accommodation policy way back when he first moved into the unit, or when you need to immediately evict a tenant due to a clear and imminent danger.
2. RESPOND promptly to tenant complaints, maintenance and otherwise.
● If a tenant indicates they have been harassed, intimidated, coerced, or retaliated against, promptly investigate the complaint. A tenant may not directly use the words “harassment,” “intimidation,” or“discrimination,” but you should be on alert when they use the words “singled out” or “treated differently” when discussing their membership in a protected class.
3. Know your RULES and follow them.
● A discrimination complaint can be filed on the simplest of maintenance issues if it can be supported the housing provider is providing different terms and conditions, i.e., responding to and handling maintenance requests, to members of a protected class. Be sure to implement and maintain consistent procedures when interacting with all tenants.
Last time we discussed three considerations of complainants who initiate complaints of housing discrimination against their housing providers. In this installment, we will review three reminders for respondents to successfully avoid the potential interaction pitfalls that could lay the groundwork for a housing discrimination complaint in the future.
1. RETAIN all tenant documentation.
● Although many of us retain business documents for three years as a general rule, housing providers should retain pertinent documentation related to a tenant. This practice will come in handy when a tenant does not remember you advised him of the reasonable accommodation policy way back when he first moved into the unit, or when you need to immediately evict a tenant due to a clear and imminent danger.
2. RESPOND promptly to tenant complaints, maintenance and otherwise.
● If a tenant indicates they have been harassed, intimidated, coerced, or retaliated against, promptly investigate the complaint. A tenant may not directly use the words “harassment,” “intimidation,” or“discrimination,” but you should be on alert when they use the words “singled out” or “treated differently” when discussing their membership in a protected class.
3. Know your RULES and follow them.
● A discrimination complaint can be filed on the simplest of maintenance issues if it can be supported the housing provider is providing different terms and conditions, i.e., responding to and handling maintenance requests, to members of a protected class. Be sure to implement and maintain consistent procedures when interacting with all tenants.