Fair housing law prohibits discrimination in housing. Violations carry serious penalties and license consequences — this is heavily tested and central to ethical practice.
Federal protected classes (Fair Housing Act)
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- National origin
- Sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation)
- Familial status
- Disability
Prohibited practices
- Steering
- Directing buyers toward or away from neighborhoods based on a protected class.
- Blockbusting
- Inducing sales by claiming a protected group is moving into an area.
- Redlining
- Denying loans or services in certain areas based on protected characteristics.
Virginia's Fair Housing Law (Va. Code §36-96.3) protects MORE classes than the federal list. Beyond the federal classes it adds: elderliness (age), source of funds (e.g., housing vouchers), sexual orientation, gender identity, and military status. (Sexual orientation and gender identity were added in 2020; military status is also protected.) The full Virginia list: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, source of funds, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, and disability. Expect a state-portion question on the Virginia additions.