Why is it that landlords are so unwilling to provide special deals for refugees?
Just as landlords cannot discriminate against refugees, under Fair Housing law, landlords can also get into trouble for giving refugees preferential treatment. Reducing rent, waiving security deposits and moving refugees to the top of waiting lists above other qualified applicants—under most circumstances—can constitute Fair Housing violations if the benefits are not extended to all tenants regardless of refugee status. However, if a voluntary organization can show that the services they provide—for instance proof of a refugees’ background check prior to entering the country—supplants the need for a landlord to incur a certain cost (i.e. in this case the cost of running a background check) then the waiver may be acceptable and may not violate Fair Housing law.
