Phoenix — Ch. 50 Human Relations § 50-22
Limitations
Operative Text
(a) Single-family dwellings. This article shall not apply to the rental, lease or the use of any room in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling. (b) Religious, charitable, and education institutions. Nothing in this article shall bar any religious or denominational institution or organization or any charitable or educational organization operated, supervised or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization from limiting living accommodations or giving preference with respect thereto to persons of the same religion or denomination. (c) Conflict of laws. Nothing in this article shall require an owner or others to offer for sale or lease real property to the public at large where any applicable federal, state or local laws or articles provide otherwise. (d) Affirmative marketing. Nothing in this article shall be interpreted as prohibiting or discouraging any person engaged as a real estate agent or otherwise engaged in a real estate transaction from affirmative marketing; that is, taking special care to make minority group people positively aware of housing opportunities in areas where they are presently underrepresented in the current housing demand, and similarly taking special care to make nonminority people positively aware of housing opportunities in areas where they are presently underrepresented in the housing demand. (e) Maintenance of records. Nothing in this article shall prevent any person from maintaining records in furtherance of the purposes of this article. (f) Counseling. Nothing in this article shall prohibit provisions for housing counseling.
Phoenix City Code § 50-22 carves out several categories of housing activity that fall outside the reach of the city's human relations anti-discrimination rules. Owner-occupied single-family homes are fully exempt from the article's requirements, and religious or denominational organizations may lawfully give preference to members of their own faith when allocating living accommodations. The provision also clarifies that affirmative marketing efforts—actively reaching out to underrepresented groups about available housing—are not only permitted but encouraged, and that record-keeping and housing counseling activities remain unaffected by the article.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 50-22, operators of owner-occupied single-family rentals are not subject to the human relations article's requirements, though all other rental properties generally remain covered. Landlords affiliated with religious or educational organizations should document the organizational basis for any preference policies to demonstrate they fall within the recognized exemption. Compliant operators also understand that affirmative outreach to underrepresented communities is expressly permitted under this section and does not conflict with the article's broader non-discrimination framework.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 50-22 defines the boundaries of Phoenix's human relations protections, so tenants should be aware that owner-occupied single-family dwellings are not covered by the article's anti-discrimination provisions. If a tenant believes a landlord is improperly claiming an exemption—for example, asserting a religious-organization preference in a context that does not qualify—that concern can generally be raised with a local fair housing organization or the City of Phoenix for review. Tenants may also find that affirmative marketing programs operating under § 50-22(d) are a resource for learning about housing opportunities in areas where their community is underrepresented.
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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