Question 86

An owner of a duplex who lives in one of the two units and refuses to rent the other unit to anyone with kids under the age of 12 is violating federal fair housing laws.

Refusing to rent to families with children under the age of 12 constitutes discrimination based on familial status, which is prohibited under the Fair Housing Act. This law protects against discrimination in housing based on several factors, including the presence of children.

A) A church that rents out the parsonage only to members of the church

This option is not a violation of federal fair housing laws because religious organizations are allowed to limit housing to members of their faith. The Fair Housing Act includes exemptions for certain religious organizations, permitting them to restrict occupancy based on membership.

B) A home builder who is developing a new retirement community that restricts occupancy to persons aged 62 and older

This scenario is also not a violation of federal fair housing laws. The Housing for Older Persons Act allows housing developments to restrict occupancy based on age, provided they meet specific criteria, such as having a majority of residents aged 62 or older.

C) An owner of a duplex who lives in one of the two units and refuses to rent the other unit to anyone with kids under the age of 12

This option is a clear violation of federal fair housing laws. The Fair Housing Act explicitly prohibits discrimination against families with children, making it illegal for landlords to refuse rental based solely on the presence of children in the household.

D) An owner of an 8-unit apartment building who lives in one of the ground floor units and refuses to rent upstairs units to families with children

This option represents a violation of federal fair housing laws as well. Similar to option C, the refusal to rent to families with children constitutes discrimination based on familial status, which the Fair Housing Act aims to prevent.

Conclusion

The correct answer is C because it directly violates the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children. Options A and B are compliant with the law due to specific exemptions, while option D also violates the law but is not the best answer as C directly addresses the refusal based on age. Thus, C is definitively the correct choice as it exemplifies unlawful discrimination under federal regulations.