Geneva — Title 6 Ch. 6 Fair Housing § 6-6-4
DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED; SPECIFIC VIOLATIONS ENUMERATED; EXCEPTIONS:
Operative Text
A. Except as hereinafter exempted in this section, it shall be unlawful for any owner, contractor, developer, real estate broker or salesperson to discriminate against any person because of his race, religion, color or national origin in regard to the sale or rental of real estate in the city. An owner, contractor, developer, real estate broker or salesperson shall be guilty of discrimination if he: 1. Publishes, circulates, issues or displays, or causes to be published, circulated, issued or displayed, in a communication, notice, advertisement, sign or other writing of any kind relating to the sale of any real estate which will indicate or express any such discrimination. 2. Exploits or overcharges any person for real estate because of race, color, religion or national origin. 3. Represents to any person that real estate is not available for inspection, purchase, sale or lease because of race, color, religion or national origin, when, in fact, the real estate is available. 4. Refuses to show, sell or lease any real estate because of race, color, religion or national origin of the proposed buyer. 5. Enters into an agreement which prohibits the sale of real estate to any person because of race, color, religion or national origin. 6. Acts or undertakes to act with respect to real estate the disposition of which is denied to any person because of race, color, religion or national origin. 7. Makes, distributes or causes to be made or distributed any written material or statements designed to induce any owner of real estate to sell or lease his property because of any present or prospective change in the race, color, religion or national origin of persons in the neighborhood. B. Nothing contained in this section shall apply to: 1. Any single-family dwelling sold or rented by an owner, provided that: a. The sale or rental of such single-family dwelling shall be excepted from the application of this chapter only if such house is sold or rented without the use of any manner of the sales or rental facilities of any real estate broker, agent or salesperson. b. The sale or rental of such single-family dwelling shall be excepted from the application of this chapter only if such dwelling is sold or rented without the publication, posting or mailing of any advertisement or written notice in violation of subsection A of this section. 2. The renting of rooms or apartments containing living quarters occupied by no more than four (4) families living independently of each other, if the owner actually maintains and occupied one of the living quarters in such unit as his residence.
Geneva Title 6 Ch. 6 Fair Housing § 6-6-4 prohibits owners, contractors, developers, real estate brokers, and salespersons from discriminating in the sale or rental of real estate on the basis of race, religion, color, or national origin. The rule enumerates specific prohibited acts, including discriminatory advertising, steering, refusal to show or sell, blockbusting, and overcharging. Two narrow exceptions exist: private sales or rentals of single-family homes conducted without a broker and without discriminatory advertising, and owner-occupied buildings of four or fewer units.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Geneva Title 6 Ch. 6 Fair Housing § 6-6-4, compliant property owners and managers apply consistent, non-discriminatory criteria when advertising, showing, pricing, and leasing or selling all covered properties. Operators who rely on real estate brokers or publish any advertising lose access to the single-family dwelling exception, meaning the full prohibition applies to those transactions. Owners of small owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units should be aware that the owner-occupant exception is narrow and does not shield discriminatory advertising or other enumerated conduct.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Geneva Title 6 Ch. 6 Fair Housing § 6-6-4 gives prospective buyers and renters the right to be free from discriminatory refusals, misrepresentations about availability, steering, and exploitative pricing based on race, religion, color, or national origin. If a person believes one of the enumerated violations has occurred, general enforcement paths include filing a complaint with the relevant local or state fair housing authority or contacting a tenant-rights or fair housing organization for guidance. Individuals may also wish to explore whether federal fair housing protections under the Fair Housing Act provide additional or parallel remedies.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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