Our commitment
American Homes Online fully supports and complies with the federal Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 as amended, and with all applicable state and local fair housing laws. Every property advertised through our Services is available on an equal opportunity basis.
Housing discrimination is illegal, and it is also a failure of the basic premise of our business. People should be able to live where they can afford to live. We take that seriously enough to build screening into our listing pipeline rather than simply publishing a statement.
Protected classes
Federal law
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, financing and advertising of housing because of:
- Race
- Color
- National origin
- Religion
- Sex — including sexual orientation and gender identity
- Familial status — including families with children under 18 and pregnant persons
- Disability — physical or mental
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act additionally prohibits discrimination in credit transactions on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or because an applicant receives public assistance income.
Additional state and local protections
Many states, counties and cities extend protection to further categories. Depending on where the property is located, these may include:
- Source of income, including housing vouchers and Section 8
- Marital status or domestic partnership
- Age
- Military or veteran status
- Citizenship or immigration status
- Criminal history, subject to local limitations
- Ancestry
- Genetic information
- Status as a survivor of domestic violence
- Student status
Where state or local law is more protective than federal law, the more protective standard applies. Our partner agents are trained on the requirements in the states where they are licensed.
Conduct we prohibit
Any agent, brokerage, landlord, property manager or advertiser using our Services is prohibited from:
- refusing to sell, rent, negotiate for, or otherwise make housing unavailable because of a protected characteristic;
- setting different terms, conditions, prices, deposits or privileges based on a protected characteristic;
- steering — guiding prospects toward or away from particular neighborhoods, buildings or units based on a protected characteristic;
- redlining — refusing or varying the terms of a loan or insurance based on the composition of a neighborhood;
- blockbusting — inducing a sale or rental by representing that the makeup of a neighborhood is changing;
- making, printing, publishing or causing to be published any advertisement that states or implies a preference, limitation or discrimination;
- refusing a reasonable accommodation or a reasonable modification requested by a person with a disability;
- falsely representing that a dwelling is unavailable for inspection, sale or rental;
- harassing, coercing, intimidating, threatening or retaliating against any person exercising a fair housing right.
How we screen listing copy
Listing descriptions are reviewed automatically and, when flagged, by a human compliance analyst before publication. We look for language that signals a preference or exclusion, including phrases that describe the ideal occupant rather than the property.
Describing the property is appropriate. Describing who should live in it is not. For example, “two-bedroom unit on the ground floor with step-free entry” is a factual description of the home. “Perfect for a young professional couple, no kids” expresses a preference based on familial status and will be rejected.
Similarly, references to the religious or ethnic character of a neighborhood, proximity framed in terms of a particular community, or terms describing physical or mental ability of the intended occupant are not permitted. When our analysts reject copy, the submitting agent receives an explanation and an opportunity to revise.
Disability rights, accommodations and accessibility
People with disabilities have specific rights under the Fair Housing Act that are frequently misunderstood by housing providers.
- Reasonable accommodation — a change to a rule, policy, practice or service that is necessary to give a person with a disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling. A common example is permitting an assistance animal in a building with a no-pets policy. A housing provider may not charge a pet fee or deposit for an assistance animal.
- Reasonable modification — a physical change to the premises, such as installing a grab bar or a ramp. In private rental housing the tenant generally bears the cost; in federally assisted housing the provider generally does.
- Design and construction requirements — multifamily buildings with four or more units first occupied after March 13, 1991 must meet specific accessible design requirements.
A housing provider must engage with an accommodation request and may only deny it if it would impose an undue financial or administrative burden or fundamentally alter the nature of the housing. Simply ignoring a request is itself a violation.
How to report a concern
Report it to us
If you believe a listing, an advertisement or a partner agent on our Services has violated fair housing law, tell us immediately:
- Email — fairhousing@americanhomesonline.net
- Phone — (888) 555-0199
- Form — our contact form, choosing “Fair Housing concern”
Include the listing ID or URL and what you observed. We acknowledge fair housing reports within one business day and prioritize them above all other report types. Listings with discriminatory content are removed immediately pending review, and agents found to have violated fair housing law are removed from our network and reported to the applicable state real estate commission.
File a complaint with HUD
Reporting to us does not replace your right to file a formal complaint. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development investigates fair housing complaints at no cost to you, and filing is free.
- Online — the HUD housing discrimination complaint form at hud.gov/fairhousing
- Phone — the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at 1-800-669-9777, or TTY 1-800-927-9275
- Mail — Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW, Washington, DC 20410
A complaint must generally be filed with HUD within one year of the alleged discriminatory act. A federal civil lawsuit may generally be filed within two years. Many states also operate a fair housing agency or civil rights commission that accepts complaints, and local fair housing organizations can often help you at no charge.
Additional resources
- HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity — enforcement, education and complaint intake
- U.S. Department of Justice, Housing and Civil Enforcement Section — pattern-or-practice litigation
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — complaints about mortgage lending discrimination
- National Fair Housing Alliance — directory of local member organizations that provide free assistance
- Your state real estate commission — license complaints against an individual agent or broker
Our internal accountability
We hold ourselves to the following, and we audit against them:
- Mandatory annual Fair Housing Act training for every partner agent, with completion tracked as a condition of remaining in the network.
- Automated screening of all listing copy before publication, with human review of anything flagged.
- No targeting of housing advertisements by race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, disability, or by proxies for those characteristics such as ZIP code audiences used in a discriminatory way.
- No search feature that allows filtering by the demographic composition of a neighborhood.
- Retention of advertising records as required by law so that compliance can be reviewed.
- Quarterly internal audit of rejected and published listing copy, overseen by our Head of Consumer Advocacy.
If you believe we have fallen short of any of these commitments, write directly to fairhousing@americanhomesonline.net. Reports are reviewed by our compliance team, not by the sales organization.