MRP Fair Housing Laws 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A housing complex advertises as 'adults only' and refuses to rent to a military family with two children. Under the Fair Housing Act, this complex may legally do so only if it qualifies as:
- A luxury property
- Housing for older persons (55+ or 62+ community) (Correct answer)
- A property with fewer than 4 units
- A military-designated community
Correct answer: Housing for older persons (55+ or 62+ community)
The Fair Housing Act exempts qualified housing for older persons — either 55+ communities with at least 80% of units occupied by persons 55+ or 62+ communities — from the familial status requirement.
Question 2: Which federal agency is primarily responsible for enforcing the Fair Housing Act?
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (Correct answer)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Correct answer: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
HUD is the primary federal agency responsible for administering and enforcing the Fair Housing Act.
Question 3: When an MRP professional helps a relocating military family, the SCRA protects them from all of the following EXCEPT:
- Early lease termination penalties
- Foreclosure without court order during active duty
- Interest rates above 6% on pre-service obligations
- Security deposit requirements above state limits (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Security deposit requirements above state limits
The SCRA does not cap security deposits — it addresses interest rates, early termination of leases, and foreclosure protections for servicemembers.
Question 4: A property manager requires all applicants to provide proof of income equal to 3x the monthly rent but waives this requirement only for veterans. This policy is:
- Legal because veterans are a protected class
- Discriminatory against non-veterans under the Fair Housing Act (Correct answer)
- Required under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
- Legal as an income verification standard
Correct answer: Discriminatory against non-veterans under the Fair Housing Act
While intentional favorable treatment of veterans may seem positive, applying income standards inconsistently creates a disparate impact on non-veterans and can expose the manager to fair housing complaints.
Question 5: The practice of a lender refusing to make mortgage loans in certain neighborhoods, regardless of individual applicants' qualifications, is known as:
- Steering
- Blockbusting
- Redlining (Correct answer)
- Churning
Correct answer: Redlining
Redlining is the illegal practice of refusing to lend, insure, or provide services in certain areas, often based on the racial or ethnic composition of those neighborhoods.
Question 6: Under the Fair Housing Act, a complaint must be filed with HUD within how many days of the alleged discriminatory act?
- 90 days
- 180 days (Correct answer)
- 1 year
- 2 years
Correct answer: 180 days
A fair housing complaint must be filed with HUD within 180 days (one year for private lawsuits in federal court) of the alleged discriminatory act.
Question 7: A real estate professional who advertises a home 'near the base — perfect for military families' in a military relocation listing is:
- Using a compliant marketing strategy (Correct answer)
- Potentially engaging in steering based on familial status
- Violating SCRA advertising provisions
- Required to use such language under MRP guidelines
Correct answer: Using a compliant marketing strategy
Advertising proximity to a military installation is factual location information and is a compliant marketing strategy widely used in military relocation markets.
