Can a Landlord or Property Manager Refuse to Rent to a Person with a Criminal Conviction Record?

Hello Friends,

Earlier this month, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued guidance on how fair housing laws apply to those with criminal records. Specifically, the HUD stated that a landlord or property manager who imposes a blanket refusal to rent to any person with any criminal conviction record – no matter when the conviction occurred, what the underlying conduct entailed, or what the convicted person has done since then — may violate the Fair Housing Act. Thus, if you are a property manager or own rental property, it is urged that you to familiarize yourself with the guidelines.

It goes without saying that a landlord or property manager must treat everyone equally. Even if a screening policy involving criminal convictions is maintained, it can never be used as a pretext for unequal treatment. If a landlord or property manager refuses to rent to a person for certain convictions, then the landlord or property manager should not rent to anyone similarly convicted. View C.A.R.’s Realegal® on the HUD guidelines.

This was an announcement from Pat “Ziggy” Zicarelli who is the 2016 President of the California Association of Relators.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us at katiebrealty at gmail . com. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Katie Bayliss, Esq.
Real Estate Broker/Agent and Real Estate Attorney
Specializing in real estate buying and selling issues and wills and trusts