About Fair Housing

Federal, state, and local fair housing laws prohibit discrimination in the sale, rental, financing, insuring, and construction of housing based on certain characteristics or identifying traits (such as race, national origin, age, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, having children under the age of 18, among others). Landlords, property owners, property managers, rental agents, building superintendents, real estate brokers, co-op and condominium boards, homeowner’s associations, financial institutions, mortgage brokers, municipalities, homeowner insurance companies, and others who provide housing-related services must comply with the law and are liable for housing discrimination.

Our office enforces federal, state, and local housing discrimination laws on behalf of all New Yorkers. We bring cases based on complaints filed with our office and where investigative work evidences a pattern or practice of unlawful housing discrimination. The following protected classes are included in the federal and/or New York State fair housing laws:

Certain localities in New York State include additional protected classes in their housing discrimination laws. For example, the New York City Human Rights Law includes all of the above-mentioned protected classes and the following protected classes:

• Gender identity
• Lawful occupation
• Alienage or citizenship status
• Domestic partnership status
• Lawful source of income (Section 8, public assistance, social security, SSI/SSD)

The cities of Buffalo, Hamburg, and West Seneca, as well as Nassau County also have local laws that prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of lawful source of income. The city of Ithaca and Tompkins County prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of socioeconomic status as well.

If you believe you are the victim of housing discrimination, please contact our office or one of the other government agencies that handles fair housing complaints.