St. Lucie County, FL
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Fair Housing
To view St. Lucie County's Fair Housing Ordinance, click here.
What is housing discrimination?
How do you know if you have been the victim of illegal housing discrimination? Housing discrimination comes in many forms and is often subtle. Some signs of possible discrimination include:
- A refusal to sell, rent, or show available housing;
- Requiring different terms and conditions for identical dwellings, i.e. charging higher rent, security deposit for different tenants;
- Being told that the dwelling isn’t right for you or your family;
- Being told that housing isn’t available in an apartment with a “For Rent” sign;
- Housing advertisements that say “no kids” or “adults only";
- A refusal to make a reasonable accommodation or allow a modification to make the dwelling accessible for a person with a disability;
- Harassment or intimidation;
- Offering non‐standard and unfavorable terms in the purchase of a home or property insurance;
- Terms of availability that change between a phone contact and an in‐person visit;
- Being steered to racially segregated neighborhoods during your home search;
- Excessive or inappropriate questioning upon requesting information about a dwelling.
What are my rights?
The federal Fair Housing Act protects your right to rent an apartment, buy a home, obtain a mortgage, or purchase homeowners insurance free from discrimination based on:
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- Gender
- National Origin
- Disability (mental and physical)
- Familial Status (presence of children under 18 in the home)
If you suspect discrimination?
You can contact the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity about filing a complaint at (800) 669-9777. For the hearing impaired, call TTY (800) 927-9275. You can also visit HUD online by clicking here.
Page Last Updated: December 6, 2022