Fair Housing Center
of Greater Madison

Federal, state and local fair housing laws make it illegal to discriminate in housing based on the following protected classes:

Race - A person’s race or the race of persons with whom one associates.

Color - A person’s skin color.

Sex - A person’s sex, including sexual harassment or intimidation.

National Origin/Ancestry - The country of one’s birth and/or the nationality of one’s ancestors.

Religion - A person’s religious beliefs or denominational affiliations.

Age - Persons 18 years or older.

Disability/Handicap - A physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Marital Status - Married, single, divorced, widowed or separated.

Lawful Source of Income - A person’s legal means of income, including such subsidized forms as Social Security, Food Stamps, Unemployment Compensation, etc.

Sexual Orientation - Heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or gender identity.

Family/Familial Status – A person’s household composition, including the presence of children.

Arrest/Conviction record - Persons with arrest/conviction records older than two years or not involving offenses such as drug-related criminal activity, disturbance of neighbors, destruction of property or criminal activity involving violence to persons or property.

Physical Appearance - The outward appearance of any person.

Political Beliefs - A person’s opinions concerning the social, economic and governmental structure of society and its institutions.

Student Status – Having or not having standing as an enrollee of a school or apprenticeship program.

Military Discharge Status – Type of military discharge, also including active duty status.

Illegal discrimination in housing covers a variety of unlawful acts. When one or more of the following occurs and is based on a person’s membership in a protected class, it may constitute illegal discrimination:

• Refusing to sell, rent, insure, construct and/or finance housing.
• Refusing to discuss the terms of the sale, rental, insurance, construction and/or financing of housing.
• Refusing to allow inspection of housing.
• Refusing to renew a lease or causing the eviction of a tenant.
• Misrepresenting the availability of housing for sale, rent or inspection.
• Applying different terms or conditions for the sale, rental, insurance, construction and/or financing of housing.
• Refusing to allow reasonable modifications or accommodations for persons with disabilities.
• Printing, publishing or displaying advertisements or notices that state or indicate a preference based on a protected class.
• Engaging in harassment, coercion or intimidation.
• Blockbusting, which consists of any effort to induce or attempt to induce a person to sell or rent a dwelling by representations regarding the presence or entry of a person or persons of a protected class or economic status.
• Steering, which is restricting or attempting to restrict, by word or action, an individual’s housing choices to perpetuate segregated housing patterns.
• Segregation by floor, building, development or community based on membership in a protected class.

• For complaints filed with the Madison Equal Opportunities Commission, there is a one-year statute of limitations.
• If filing a complaint with the Dane County Corporation Counsel, there is 300-day statute of limitations.
• If a complaint is filed in state court or with a state administrative agency, the statute of limitations is up to one year.
• If a complaint is filed under the Federal Fair Housing Act in federal court, there is a two-year statute of limitations.
• For a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development there is a one-year statute of limitations.