If a landlord has knowledge about a mental illness an applicant has and the landlord is afraid the applicant’s behavior may upset the other residents, is it legal to refuse to rent to that person?
• A person with a mental disability who applies for Housing should be screened in the same manner and held to the same eligibility standards as other applicants. Acceptance or rejection of that person as a renter should be based on whether or not they meet the eligibility standards, not on the fact that the person has a disability. An applicant’s acceptance needs to be based on standards relating to rental history and behavior, not on the mental disability. • There may, however, be instances in which the disability has affected the individual’s ability to meet the eligibility standards and the landlord might permit an accommodation. For example, an individual’s credit may be low due to the disability, but everything else has checked out. The landlord then might agree to a six-month lease as a trial period and extend to the usual full year if the rent is paid in full and on time.
Related Questions
- If a landlord has knowledge about a mental illness an applicant has and the landlord is afraid the applicant’s behavior may upset the other residents, is it legal to refuse to rent to that person?
- Does anyone know what the legal responsibility the landlord has to inform residents that there is a problem in the building?
- If a landlord knows that an applicant has a record of violent behavior must he/she rent to that person?
