Your Fair Housing Rights as a Buyer
The short answer
- Federal law protects you based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, and disability
- California adds protections including sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, and source of income
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Why this matters
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination, and California law goes further. As a buyer, you have the right to equal treatment from agents, sellers, and lenders. Knowing your rights helps you recognize when they are violated.
Protected Classes
Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status (having children under 18 or being pregnant), and disability. California's Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) adds sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, source of income, genetic information, military or veteran status, and age, and other California civil rights laws also protect citizenship, immigration status, and primary language. Because California names these explicitly, they apply here however federal agencies read the word sex.
What Discrimination Looks Like
It is not always obvious. Steering (directing buyers to or away from certain neighborhoods based on race, ethnicity, or another protected characteristic). Refusing to show listings. Quoting different loan terms, rates, or fees. Discouraging you from applying. Telling you a home is no longer available when it is. Making comments about whether you would "fit in" to a neighborhood. These are all violations.
How to Report
If you believe you have been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with HUD (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) online or by phone, or with California's Civil Rights Department, generally within one year. Complaints about a licensed agent can also go to the California Department of Real Estate. Filing is free. Document everything — dates, names, what was said, and any witnesses.
Everything to remember
- Federal law protects you based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, family status, and disability
- California adds protections including sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, and source of income
- Steering, differential treatment, and discouragement are all forms of discrimination
- File with HUD or California's Civil Rights Department within one year — it is free, and documentation helps
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