Just how well do you and your staff understand your fair housing obligations under the law? Our quiz will cover fair housing basics under federal law—the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Based on your answers, you’ll be able to identify any potential problem areas that might merit some further attention or training. You can then browse our website for lessons on the topics you or your staff should brush up on.

Instructions: The quiz is made up of 40 true-or-false questions. The correct answers (with explanations) are published in a separate PDF available in the Archive with the issue PDF and follow the quiz online. Good luck! 

QUESTION #1

Fair housing law prohibits apartment communities from denying housing to anyone who’s a member of a protected class. True or false?

QUESTION #2

In checking references on an application for a vacant unit, you learn that an applicant has been evicted for failure to pay rent at his last two rentals. You may deny the application based on your community’s standard screening policy without violating fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #3

A community could be accused of discrimination just from the way it handles phone calls or emails from prospects. True or false?

QUESTION #4

A Black couple visits the leasing office asking about available one-bedroom units. There are two units available, but the leasing agent shows the couple only one. She doesn’t mention the other unit because she has heard the resident in the neighboring unit making racially insensitive comments. Since she’s trying to protect the couple from racial discrimination, her actions would not violate fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #5

A white resident may pursue a fair housing claim if the community, its staff, or others harass or discriminate against her because she entertains Black friends. True or false?

QUESTION #6

A prospect confides that he doesn’t want to “feel like a minority” in his own home and asks about the type of people living in the community. The leasing agent could trigger a fair housing problem if she answers by describing the racial or ethnic makeup of the community’s residents. True or false?

QUESTION #7

Only legal immigrants are protected under federal fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #8

Despite complaints about strong cooking odors in the hallway, a community could trigger a fair housing complaint by banning the use of curry or other strong spices in the building. True or false?

QUESTION #9

Only women can bring claims of sex discrimination under federal fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #10

There have been rumors about an employee pressuring female residents for “dates” in return for favors, such as giving them a break on late rent payments. Although no one has complained, the community should investigate whether the employee has engaged in sexual harassment. True or false?

QUESTION #11

During the screening process, you learn of frequent complaints and calls to police about domestic disturbances involving an applicant and her ex-boyfriend. If you reject her application because she seems like too much trouble, it could trigger a fair housing claim. True or false?

QUESTION #12

Although federal fair housing law doesn’t explicitly ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, treating applicants or residents differently because of their sexual orientation could lead to a discrimination complaint. True or false?

QUESTION #13

Saying “Merry Christmas” and posting pictures of Santa Claus doesn’t violate fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #14

The federal ban on housing discrimination based on religion applies only to members of established religions. True or false?

QUESTION #15

A prospect responded to an online ad for a small studio unit. When she arrives for the showing, it’s apparent that she’s in the late stages of pregnancy. You believe that the unit is too small for two people, but you must offer to show her the unit to avoid a discrimination claim based on familial status. True or false?

QUESTION #16

If no special circumstances are present, federal law allows communities to apply occupancy standards that limit the number of people in two-bedroom units to four people. True or false?

QUESTION #17

It’s okay to tell families with young children that they should rent a unit near the playground instead of the pond, since the children would be safer and happier there. True or false?

QUESTION #18

Your property just finished an extensive landscaping project to reseed lawns and replace plantings. To protect your investment, you may adopt a rule prohibiting children from playing outside without violating fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #19

Under fair housing law, apartment communities that qualify as “housing for older persons” may lawfully exclude families with minor children. True or false?

QUESTION #20

Apartment communities that qualify as senior housing are exempt from discrimination claims under fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #21

The FHA’s broad definition of “disability” applies to a broad array of physical and mental impairments. True or false?

QUESTION #22

An individual who doesn’t have a qualifying impairment can file a disability discrimination claim under federal fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #23

An applicant lists his current address as a drug treatment facility. To reduce the potential of criminal activity, you may reject his application without violating fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #24

If a resident breaches his lease by repeatedly threatening his neighbors, you can’t evict him if he has a disability. True or false?

QUESTION #25

During the screening process, it is a violation of fair housing law if you ask the applicant any disability-related questions. True or false?

QUESTION #26

Whenever a resident says he wants or needs an exception to your rules because of a disability, you should treat it as a request for a reasonable accommodation. True or false?

QUESTION #27

You may refuse to consider reasonable accommodation requests unless the person making the request fills out a required form. True or false?

QUESTION #28

It’s unlawful to require everyone requesting a reasonable accommodation to provide documentation to verify that he has a disability and a disability-related need for the requested accommodation. True or false?

QUESTION #29

If an apartment community bans motorized vehicles, it must allow a resident with a mobility impairment to use a motorized wheelchair as a reasonable accommodation as long as he pays an extra security deposit to offset any property damage he may cause while using the device. True or false?

QUESTION #30

A resident, who uses a wheelchair due to a mobility disorder, asks for a staff member to drive her to medical appointments as a reasonable accommodation for her disability. Since she has a disability-related need for the accommodation, you must grant her request. True or false?

QUESTION #31

Several months after moving into your community, a resident says she’s disabled and requests a specially designated parking space near her unit. You may deny the request because she didn’t ask for the space when she moved in. True or false?

QUESTION #32

You must consider a request for a special parking space even if the resident doesn’t appear to have a disability. True or false?

QUESTION #33

Your apartment community allows residents to have small pets, weighing less than 25 pounds, in their units. You must make an exception to the weight restriction for a blind applicant who wants to keep a 60-pound guide dog.  True or false?

QUESTION #34

Only dogs that are specially trained to perform tasks for individuals with disabilities qualify as assistance animals under federal fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #35

A resident in a wheelchair asks for permission to build a wheelchair ramp to the entrance of his unit. He offers to pay all the costs and agrees to have the ramp removed at his own expense when he leaves. You may deny the request if you believe that installation of the ramp would detract from your building’s appearance. True or false?

QUESTION #36

Several years ago, a resident filed a fair housing complaint against your apartment community, but the case was dismissed. Lately, she has repeatedly failed to pay her rent in full or on time, but you can’t evict her because of her prior discrimination complaint. True or false?

QUESTION #37

An employee can sue the community under fair housing law. True or false?

QUESTION #38

A community could be accused of a fair housing violation if it advertises vacant one-bedroom units as “Perfect for singles!” and “Ideal for empty-nesters.” True or false?

QUESTION #39

The rules banning discriminatory advertising don’t apply to online ads and marketing on the internet or social media sites. True or false?

QUESTION #40

If a community has a large population of Latino residents, then it wouldn’t violate fair housing law by advertising only in Spanish-language media and websites. True or false?

Get the Quiz Answers & Explanations here!