Discrimination has been a huge issue in the U.S. with different groups continuing to fight for their right to be protected from unjust treatment. Thankfully, more and more federal and state laws have been implemented to protect them.

One main law that has addressed this issue is The Fair Housing Act of 1968. It aims to prevent discriminatory practices in the housing industry, which means you can’t deny someone of sale, rental, or financing of housing based on gender, religion, race, color, or national origin.

As a landlord, you have to be fully aware of the different protected groups so you can be more cautious about how you transact with your clients. Additional groups are also protected by other state housing laws.

Sometimes, you are even unaware that you are already being discriminatory because there are instances when there’s just a thin line between being respectful and being discriminatory. Usually this lapse of judgment occurs in simple conversations 

Part of being a landlord or property manager is screening potential tenants and it is during this process that you get to know them better by asking them personal information. This is where the importance of knowing what subjects to touch on while interviewing your clients.

Be aware of these few questions you can’t ask your future or current tenants.

1. How old are you?

It is against the law to discriminate against someone’s age. Even though you are simply asking out of curiosity, it can come off as possible prejudice.

However, if you are providing housing for senior living communities, this question is allowed.

Usually background checks or government IDs already have birth dates. So there’s no need for you to ask the client’s age.

2. What is your sexual preference?

The same as asking whether or not your client is married. Sexual preference and marital or relationship status is a sensitive subject and it can offend anyone who gets asked about it.

Some state housing laws also fight against discrimination based on gender identification.

3. Do you have a disability?

The differently-abled are also a protected group for obvious reasons. Technically, since you make your units available to be rented by members of the public, it includes both able-bodied and disabled individuals.

You are also not allowed to direct a disabled client to a unit that you feel is better in meeting their special needs.

4. How many kids do you have?

You might ask this because you want to know how many kids they have. Children are a protected group so you can’t deny housing just because you don’t like children in your priority.

You can only ask how many occupants to see if they won’t go beyond your unit’s capacity.

Another big no-no is asking them if they have plans on having children in the future.

5. What are your religious beliefs?

Anyone’s religion is not relevant to a client’s application for tenancy. So there’s no valid reason to ask this.

The same goes with asking them what church they attend.

7. Which country were you born?

Racial discrimination has been such a decades-long issue in the U.S. and it still hasn’t completely gone away even after all these years.

That is why questions relating to one’s nationality, ethnicity, and race are inappropriate.

Now that you are more aware of the information you can legally gather from prospective tenants, you’re more prepared to start screening housing applicants. Post a listing of your vacancy in Padleads.com. Make sure you don’t have anything on your listing that may sound like you are preferring just a specific demographic because it’s as inappropriate as those questions mentioned above.