Property Management Blog

Williamsburg Property Management: Housing Discrimination

KRS Holdings - Monday, February 29, 2016
  If you have been in the property management business for a long time, you will surely have heard about violations of fair housing law. This is something you want to avoid with your Williamsburg property management initiative. Often times, shocking settlement awards are made and can exceed one hundred thousand dollars or even one million dollars. Don't think that a discrimination case could never happen to you. It is important for you to know the fair housing laws and practice compliance to ensure that you operate within the confines of the law when overseeing your Williamsburg property management business. To be a successful property manager, you must educate yourself on federal, state, and local fair housing laws.   Lack of awareness of these laws may lead to compliance issues pertaining to policies and procedures that are discriminatory in nature. If you are showing your property to potential clients and have a preference for families with children, you are actually acting outside the law; this could be seen as discrimination against applicants who do not have children.   A lack of awareness of the state, federal, and local laws places you in a position to make mistakes that could result in a costly settlement award. To protect yourself from such a financial travesty, obtain a copy of the federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination against protected classes regarding rental housing. Knowledge of these laws will provide pertinent information and guidelines regarding tenant screening and the selection process. The experts at Williamsburg property management can help you to design systems to ensure you operate within the confines of the law and avoid a distressing settlement award.