Housing Discrimination



Home \| Home Sales Housing Discrimination Unlawful Kinds of Discrimination No matter what your lease says, your landlord cannot discriminate against you for the wrong reasons. Under federal or state law, your civil rights are violated if your landlord treats you differently than other tenants for one of the following reasons: Because of your age Because you have a disability Because of your race, color, ancestry or national origin Because of your sex, marital status or because you have children Because of your religion Because you are in the military or were unfavorably discharged from the military Because of your sexual orientation or homosexuality (new, as of January 1, 2006) The right to be free from discrimination for any of these reasons applies to every aspect of your relationship with your landlord. Examples: Everything in the lease agreement, rental amounts or other fees, evictions and repairs. It also includes the right to be free from sexual or racial harassment, or harassment for any of the reasons listed earlier. If you are a person with a disability, you have the right to have access to your apartment and the apartment complex’s facilities on the same basis as other tenants. This includes the right to make reasonable physical modifications to your apartment or building at your expense. It also means that your landlord must make reasonable changes to rules or policies if you need them. Example: If you have a physical disability which prevents you from walking long distances, you must be given a designated parking spot near the door to your building, even if no one else has a designated parking spot. What to Do If You Have Been Discriminated Against If you have been discriminated against, you have the right to file a charge of discrimination with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and/or the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. You must file your charge within one year of the act of discrimination. You may also be able to file a lawsuit in court. There, you can seek a court order prohibiting your landlord from continuing to discriminate against you and also for monetary compensation. If your landlord is evicting you for discriminatory reasons, you may bring this up in eviction court as a defense to defeat the eviction against you. Article Source: http://freelegalinformation.info Published by Illinois Legal Aid	Authors: Sign Up for a free account Member Login Visitors: Link Exch Contact Us Terms of Use Legal Forms Online Download legal forms for all US states. Uncontested Divorce Forms Legal Name Change Forms Living Will Form Power of Attorney Form Auto Bill of Sale Form Residential Lease Agreement Partnership Agreement Promissory Note Form Last Will and Testament Forms Prenuptial Agreement Personal Bankruptcy Forms