Fair Housing · real estate
The words you cannot use in a real estate listing.
Every list like this one gives you replacement words. That is the part that gets brokerages sued. The Fair Housing Act is not a list of forbidden vocabulary. It asks one question of your copy: does this describe the property, or the people? Swap “safe neighborhood” for “quiet neighborhood” and you have changed the words and kept the violation.
Below are the 167 phrases our compliance engine refuses in real estate advertising, grouped by the protected class each one touches. It is the actual list the software runs, not an article about it.
A screening tool, not legal advice. Your broker or compliance officer has the last word.
The seven classes the federal Act protects
Race, colour, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. An advertisement may not state a preference, a limitation or a discrimination based on any of them — and the test is how a reader takes it, not what the writer meant.
That last part is why the list below is longer than most people expect. Almost none of these phrases name a protected class. They are proxies, and a proxy is still a preference.
12 of the 167
Describing the people, not the property
None of these name a protected class. They are proxies: every one describes who lives nearby rather than what the home has. That is the test a reviewer applies, and it is why there is no safe rewording of them.
- safe neighborhood
- safe neighbourhood
- safe area
- low crime
- crime-free
- good schools
- great schools
- best school district
- top-rated school
- exclusive community
- desirable community
- up-and-coming
“safe neighborhood”
Describe the property, not who lives around it. Security features are facts; neighbourhood character is a protected-class proxy.
“safe area”
Name the fixture — gated parking, cameras, a staffed lobby. Those are facts about the building. The character of an area is a statement about who lives there.
“low crime”
Crime claims describe residents. Cut it entirely.
32 of the 167
Source of income: vouchers and Section 8
Source of income is not a federal protected class. Many states and cities have added it to their own fair housing laws, and properties funded through HOME or LIHTC may not refuse a voucher at all. The engine refuses these everywhere, because a blanket refusal is also read as a proxy for class the Act does cover.
- no section 8
- no section eight
- section 8 not accepted
- no housing vouchers
- no vouchers
- no housing assistance
- no subsidized
- no subsidised
- no government assistance
- refuse section 8
- refuses section 8
- refusing section 8
- not accept section 8
- not accepting section 8
- won't accept section 8
- not take section 8
- section 8 need not apply
- section 8 not welcome
- refuse vouchers
- not accept vouchers
- not accept housing vouchers
- voucher holders not
- no voucher holders
- don't accept section 8
- dont accept section 8
- doesn't accept section 8
- doesnt accept section 8
- wont accept section 8
- don't take section 8
- dont take section 8
- don't accept vouchers
- dont accept vouchers
14 of the 167
Disability
Describing a feature of the home is fine. It becomes a violation when the copy assigns that feature to a type of person, or excludes one. “Step-free entry” is a fact; “must be able to climb stairs” is a screen.
- no wheelchairs
- no wheelchair
- able-bodied
- able bodied
- must be able to climb stairs
- able to climb stairs
- must be ambulatory
- must be physically able
- no service animals
- no service animal
- no emotional support animals
- not rent to disabled
- no disabled tenants
- not suitable for disabled
33 of the 167
National origin, citizenship and language
National origin is protected federally. Citizenship and language requirements in an advertisement are read as a proxy for it, whatever the intention behind them.
- don't rent to immigrants
- dont rent to immigrants
- english speaking only
- english only
- must speak english
- immigrant
- immigrants
- no immigrants
- immigrants only
- foreigner
- foreigners
- no foreigners
- american family
- american families
- all-american family
- americans only
- american citizens only
- citizens only
- us citizens only
- u.s. citizens only
- must be a citizen
- citizenship required
- proof of citizenship
- green card required
- no green card
- no visas
- visa holders not accepted
- nationals only
- no refugees
- no asylum
- must be born here
- native born
- native-born
10 of the 167
Religion
Naming a landmark near the property is different from naming who belongs there. A listing may say the home is two streets from a named school or park. A listing that describes the community by faith is describing residents.
- walking distance to church
- christian community
- walk to church
- close to church
- near churches
- walk to churches
- church community
- faith community
- christian neighborhood
- christian neighbourhood
18 of the 167
Age
Age-restricted language is lawful only under a verified Housing for Older Persons exemption. If the property qualifies, say so by name and carry the proof. If it does not, none of these may appear.
- adult community
- for retirees
- seniors only
- 55+
- 55 plus
- 62+
- age restricted
- age-restricted
- active adult
- active adults
- mature residents
- mature adults
- ideal for seniors
- perfect for seniors
- senior living community
- adults only
- mature couple
- mature couples
“adult community”
Only lawful under a verified housing-for-older-persons exemption. If you hold one, say so explicitly; otherwise cut it.
38 of the 167
Familial status: children and families
Familial status is protected, which means both the exclusions and the invitations. “No children” and “perfect for families” are the same error pointed in opposite directions: both tell a reader which households the home is meant for.
- family-friendly
- perfect for families
- ideal for families
- great for families
- perfect for a family
- ideal for a family
- great for a family
- young family
- growing family
- no kids
- quiet, no children
- bachelor pad
- empty nesters
- young families
- no children
- families only
- not allow children
- children not allowed
- not allowing children
- not accept children
- no children permitted
- not suitable for children
- not rent to families
- not rent to families with children
- families with children not
- no families with children
- don't allow children
- dont allow children
- doesn't allow children
- doesnt allow children
- won't allow children
- wont allow children
- don't accept children
- dont accept children
- don't rent to families
- dont rent to families
- no children allowed
- childless
“family-friendly”
Describe the feature instead: the yard, the bedroom count, the park across the road. Familial status is protected.
“perfect for families”
Describe who the SPACE suits, not who the BUYER should be — “four bedrooms”, not “for families”.
“ideal for families”
Say what the home has — the bedroom count, the garden, the second bathroom — and let the reader decide who it suits.
8 of the 167
Household shape: singles, couples, professionals
These read as steering by familial status and, in some phrasings, by sex. Describe the space. “One bedroom, one bathroom” already tells a buyer who it suits.
- young professionals
- young couples
- ideal for singles
- perfect for singles
- perfect for couples
- great for couples
- single professionals
- singles only
2 of the 167
Promises a listing cannot make
Not a Fair Housing matter. These are plain advertising overclaims, and they are refused in every rulebook the engine carries.
- guarantee
- guaranteed
What every listing has to carry
Refusals are only half of it. In real estate the engine also checks that three things are present, and flags a piece that is missing any of them:
- The agent’s licence number
- The brokerage name
- Equal Housing Opportunity
A clean scan is not the same as a compliant listing. A piece with none of the 167 phrases and none of these three identifiers still fails.
The questions people ask first.
Lending rather than listings? The 51 phrases a loan officer cannot use →
Can you say “safe neighborhood” in a real estate listing?
No. It describes the people who live nearby rather than the property, which is what the Fair Housing Act reaches. There is no compliant rewording of it either — “quiet neighborhood” scans clean and is the same proxy. Name a security feature the home actually has, or cut the sentence.
Is “great schools” a Fair Housing problem?
Yes, as a judgement. Naming the district the home sits in is a verifiable fact and is fine to state. Rating the quality of that district invites a buyer to read it as a statement about who lives there.
Is “perfect for families” allowed?
No. Familial status is protected, and that protects invitations as well as exclusions. “No children” and “perfect for families” are the same error pointed in opposite directions. Describe the home: the bedroom count, the garden, the second bathroom.
Can a listing say 55+ or age restricted?
Only if the property holds a verified Housing for Older Persons exemption. If it does, name the exemption and keep the proof. If it does not, none of the age-restricted phrasings may appear.
Is refusing Section 8 against Fair Housing law?
Source of income is not a protected class under the federal Act. Many states and cities have added it to their own fair housing laws, and properties funded through HOME or LIHTC cannot refuse a voucher. A blanket refusal in an advertisement is also read as a proxy for classes the federal Act does cover, which is why the engine refuses it everywhere.
What has to appear on every listing?
Three things in real estate: the agent’s licence number, the brokerage name, and Equal Housing Opportunity. The engine checks for all three and flags a piece that is missing any of them.
Paste a real listing and see.
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