Lynwood — Ch. 54 Human Relations § 54-49
Withholding dwellings
Operative Text
It is unlawful to represent to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental handicap, familial status, or national origin that any dwelling is not available for inspection sale, or rental when such dwelling is in fact available.
Section 54-49 of Lynwood's Human Relations Code prohibits a property owner or agent from falsely telling a prospective buyer or renter that a dwelling is unavailable when it actually is available, if that misrepresentation is made because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental handicap, familial status, or national origin. This rule applies to inspections, sales, and rentals alike. The provision is designed to prevent discriminatory steering by ensuring that housing opportunities are not concealed from people based on protected characteristics.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Lynwood Ch. 54 § 54-49, compliant operators ensure that any statement about a unit's availability — whether made by an owner, leasing agent, or property manager — accurately reflects the unit's actual status, regardless of the prospective occupant's protected characteristics. Operators generally maintain consistent availability records and train staff to apply the same availability disclosures to all inquirers. Documenting when units are listed, shown, and taken off the market can help demonstrate that representations are made uniformly and without regard to race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 54-49 of Lynwood's Human Relations Code gives prospective tenants and buyers the right not to be falsely told a dwelling is unavailable because of their race, color, religion, sex, physical or mental handicap, familial status, or national origin. If someone believes they received a false availability statement for a discriminatory reason, general enforcement paths include filing a complaint with a local human relations commission, contacting the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, or reaching out to a fair-housing or tenant-rights organization for guidance. Keeping records of communications — such as dates of inquiries, names of agents spoken with, and any written responses — can be useful when pursuing any of these paths.
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 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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