Complying with Fair Housing Rules Banning Sex Discrimination

This month's issue reviews the fair housing provisions banning discrimination based on sex. The law, originally aimed at practices that foreclosed opportunities for women to buy or rent homes, has evolved to encompass a broad array of discriminatory practices. For example, courts have recognized that the rules protect men, as well as women, in finding owners liable for denying housing to male applicants on the assumption that they were more likely to damage the property or host loud parties than female residents.