31 Days of Fair Housing (Part 2)

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I KNOW that April only has 30 days and April is Fair Housing Month, but we started early. so don't miss a single day-get the rest at http://aptdynamics.com/blog-posts

Day 6

  • Don’t offer selective discounts, other than Preferred Employer Program Discounts (PEP).  An example of a selective discount might be reduced application fees for married couples or for members of a religious group.  Reduced application fee for a PEP would be acceptable. 
    But be wise about those. For example, in Salt Lake City, Utah, only offering a PEP to the Mormon Tabernacle organization’s employees and no other employers might cause people who weren’t Mormon to feel discriminated against.  They are probably a big employer there, but then so are the hospital, school system, and government. So don’t just pick the one, but select wisely!

Day 7

  • Don’t make housing rules involving children.  For example, you can’t decide that a boy and a girl in a family can’t share a bedroom, or that a single parent and child can’t share a bedroom. 

Day 8

  • More on rules dealing with children:  Have REASONABLE rules on pools.  In other words, we may feel it’s reasonable to require a person under 12 years old to be accompanied by an adult at the pool.  But it’s not reasonable for a 16 year old to have to be with an adult.  It also isn’t reasonable to require someone under 12 be accompanied only by their parent or legal guardian – adult resident, yes, but not their parent. It IS reasonable to require they live at the community, and they are with a lease holder.

Day 9

  • More on rules concerning Fair Housing and children:  Have REASONABLE rules on fitness rooms.  It is not reasonable to say no children allowed, which I have seen when visiting other companyies’ properties.  It is reasonable to require that young people under a certain age be accompanied by an adult.  What is that reasonable age?  We think 16.  I hope we’re right! 

Day 10

  • Don’t “assume!”  Don’t assume a family with children would want to be near other families with children.  Don’t assume a family with children will want to be upstairs or downstairs or near the playground or ANYWHERE, based on your thoughts.  Don’t assume an international from France will want to be near other internationals from France.  Don’t assume an elderly prospect will want to be near other elderly, “quiet” residents, or that they will want first floor so they don’t have stairs.  Ask prospects their preferences on floor level, location (based on what you have available in their time frame), etc.

Stay Tuned for More!