Are landlords allowed to refuse tenants based on their race under Fair Housing Law?

No, landlords are not allowed to refuse tenants based on their race under the Fair Housing Law in Virginia. The Supreme Court of the United States determined it is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to deny housing to individuals based on race. The Virginia Fair Housing Law, which implements the federal law, includes race as a protected class, and it is a violation for landlords to discriminate on the basis of race when it comes to rental housing. The Virginia Fair Housing Law states that no person shall be denied access to rental housing based on their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, or handicap. Discrimination on any of these grounds is a violation of the law. Moreover, landlords may not advertise that they are only willing to rent to people of a certain race, or use language that indicates preference to certain groups. Given the Supreme Court’s ruling, landlords are not allowed to refuse renting or selling housing to someone based on their race. If they do, they face significant penalties, including fines and lawsuits. Therefore, it is in landlords’ best interest to abide by the Virginia Fair Housing Law and treat all potential tenants without discrimination.

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Are landlords allowed to refuse tenants based on their race under Fair Housing Law?

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