HUD Charges Mass. Landlord with Discriminating Against Families with Children

HUD recently charged the owner of a Massachusetts community with housing discrimination for refusing to rent an apartment to a couple with children because the unit was located on the third floor. The charge will be heard by an administrative law judge unless either party elects to take it to court.

HUD filed the charge on behalf of a couple who allegedly were denied the opportunity to rent the third-floor unit because they have a 3-year-old son. The couple was also expecting their second child when they were searching for an apartment, according to HUD.

As part of their search, the couple allegedly responded to a Craigslist ad that had been placed by the owner of the property. HUD alleged that when the owner learned the couple had a young child, he told them that the apartment was on the third floor and that he would never rent to them, asking if they knew “what could happen to a child?” The charge also alleged that the manager then told the couple that he was relaying the information “as would a father to a daughter.”

“Refusing to rent to families with children is against the law,” said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “HUD will continue to take enforcement action whenever the rights of families are violated.”