DISCRIMINATION

Prospective Tenants with FHEPS Vouchers Claim Income Discrimination

October 28, 2024    

Potential tenant, a domestic violence survivor who was staying at a shelter with her child, had no current income but had a FHEPS program voucher that would pay 100 percent of her rent. She applied to landlord for...

Landlord Failed to Provide Reasonable Accommodation for Emotional Support Parrots

October 28, 2024    

A proprietary lessee in a co-op building filed a housing discrimination complaint with HUD. The tenant kept a series of parrots in her apartment and in 2015 acquired a new parrot that neighbors complained was...

Was Disabled Tenant's Request for Apartment Modifications Reasonable?

September 24, 2024    

Tenant sued landlord for disability discrimination, seeking a reasonable accommodation for a claimed disability. Tenant claimed that he had multiple physical disabilities, including chronic back pain, arthritis, and...

Homeless Shelter Resident Can Sue Prospective Landlord for Discrimination

May 23, 2024    

A legal representative sued landlord on behalf of a homeless shelter resident based on lawful source of income discrimination. The shelter resident had received a housing voucher from the city. Landlords asked the...

Prospective Tenants' Housing Discrimination Claim Based on Familial Status Dismissed

March 26, 2024    

Prospective tenants sued HPD and related landlords in federal court, claiming that landlord discriminated against them in connection with two affordable housing applications, in violation of the Fair Housing Act, the...

State Division of Human Rights Must Re-examine Organization's Housing Discrimination Claim

March 12, 2024    

CityVision, a nonprofit organization that tests whether housing facilities engage in discrimination by having their agents pose as prospective tenants, placed a test call to landlord in 2016 seeking to rent an...

Disabled Section 8 Tenant Had No Claim Against HUD for Housing Discrimination

February 25, 2024    

A disabled, wheelchair-bound tenant living in a HUD-subsidized apartment sued landlord and HUD, claiming failure to maintain his apartment so as to accommodate the vision-impaired tenant and to provide for wheelchair...

Owners Can Be Held Responsible for Broker's Source of Income Discrimination Against Prospective Tenant

January 22, 2024    

A prospective tenant, who was eligible for housing vouchers through a NYC HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) program, applied to rent an apartment. In response, landlord's real estate agent advised the...

Is Ramp Installation to Accommodate Disabled Tenant Infeasible at Building?

January 8, 2024    

Tenant sued landlord for disability discrimination. She claimed that landlord violated the NYC Human Rights Law, which required landlord to make reasonable accommodations to the needs of persons with disabilities,...

Housing Advocacy Group Can Sue Landlords and Brokers for Source of Income Discrimination

June 28, 2023    

Plaintiff, a nonprofit housing group, sued real estate agents, brokerage firms, property management companies, and property owners, claiming intentional and willful source of income discrimination in violation of New...

NYC Human Rights Law Amended to Prohibit Discrimination Based on Height and Weight

June 27, 2023    

On May 26, 2023, NYC Mayor Adams signed into law a City Council bill amending the NYC Human Rights Law to add perceived height and weight to the city's long list of classes protected from discrimination. Among...

Nonprofit Can Sue Landlord for Source of Income Discrimination Against Prospective Tenants

February 23, 2023    

A nonprofit housing group sued landlords, real estate agents, brokerage firms, and property management companies, claiming intentional and willful source of income discrimination in violation of NY State and NY City...