24 C.F.R. § 100.70
§ 100.70 Other prohibited sale and rental conduct. (24 CFR Part 100)
Operative Text
(a) It shall be unlawful, because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, to restrict or attempt to restrict the choices of a person by word or conduct in connection with seeking, negotiating for, buying or renting a dwelling so as to perpetuate, or tend to perpetuate, segregated housing patterns, or to discourage or obstruct choices in a community, neighborhood or development. (b) It shall be unlawful, because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, to engage in any conduct relating to the provision of housing or of services and facilities in connection therewith that otherwise makes unavailable or denies dwellings to persons. (c) Prohibited actions under paragraph (a) of this section, which are generally referred to as unlawful steering practices, include, but are not limited to: (1) Discouraging any person from inspecting, purchasing or renting a dwelling because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or because of the race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin of persons in a community, neighborhood or development. (2) Discouraging the purchase or rental of a dwelling because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, by exaggerating drawbacks or failing to inform any person of desirable features of a dwelling or of a community, neighborhood, or development. (3) Communicating to any prospective purchaser that he or she would not be comfortable or compatible with existing residents of a community, neighborhood or development because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. (4) Assigning any person to a particular section of a community, neighborhood or development, or to a particular floor of a building, because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. (d) Prohibited activities relating to dwellings under paragraph (b) of this section include, but are not limited to: (1) Discharging or taking other adverse action against an employee, broker or agent because he or she refused to participate in a discriminatory housing practice. (2) Employing codes or other devices to segregate or reject applicants, purchasers or renters, refusing to take or to show listings of dwellings in certain areas because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or refusing to deal with certain brokers or agents because they or one or more of their clients are of a particular race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. (3) Denying or delaying the processing of an application made by a purchaser or renter or refusing to approve such a person for occupancy in a cooperative or condominium dwelling because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. (4) Refusing to provide municipal services or property or hazard insurance for dwellings or providing such services or insurance differently because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin. (5) Enacting or implementing land-use rules, ordinances, procedures, building codes, permitting rules, policies, or requirements that restrict or deny housing opportunities or otherwise make unavailable or deny dwellings to persons because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
Under 24 CFR Part 100 § 100.70, federal fair housing law prohibits a broad range of conduct—beyond outright refusals—that channels, discourages, or otherwise limits housing choices based on protected characteristics such as race, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin. This includes so-called 'steering' practices that nudge people toward or away from particular neighborhoods, as well as behind-the-scenes actions like using coded applicant-screening systems, selectively withholding listing information, or retaliating against employees who refuse to participate in discriminatory practices. The rule also reaches governmental actors, covering discriminatory land-use rules, building codes, and permitting policies that effectively deny housing opportunities to protected groups.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating in compliance with § 100.70 generally present all available units and community information consistently to every applicant, regardless of protected characteristics, and avoid any language or conduct that could be interpreted as steering a prospective resident toward or away from a particular building, floor, or neighborhood. Compliant operators also ensure that staff and agents are not penalized for refusing to engage in discriminatory practices, and that application processing timelines and approval criteria are applied uniformly. Reviewing internal screening tools, listing practices, and vendor relationships for any coded or differential treatment tied to protected characteristics is a standard part of fair housing compliance under this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 100.70, prospective and current renters have federal fair housing protections against a wide range of discriminatory conduct beyond a flat denial—including being steered toward certain units or neighborhoods, receiving incomplete information about a property, or having an application delayed or processed differently based on a protected characteristic. Individuals who believe they have experienced such conduct may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or pursue a private civil action in federal court. Tenant-rights organizations and fair housing councils can help explain what documentation may be relevant and what options are generally available under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 4, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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