Property managers are responsible for approving and rejecting rental applicants. Jenifer, It makes sense for online applications to ask for credit card numbers if there is an application fee. The process may result in monetary damages for you as well as the opportunity to be considered for the job or housing at issue, and it could require the employer or housing provider to change its policies going forward. If an employee declines to self-identify, you must still report their race and ethnic information from employment records, … Your educational institution must respond to instances of discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin that deny or limit your ability to take part in and benefit from your school’s educational programs and activities. Landlords can retrieve information about past rental history, criminal records, and conduct a credit check on tenants. This is merely general information, not legal advice. Take note of any action that your current landlord or employer takes against you after learning of your complaint or lawsuit. Landlords can’t ask about anything that could be deemed discriminatory based on a prospective tenant’s race, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or existence of a disability, according to the Fair Housing Act . Most landlords require tenants to prove their credentials before they rent to them. Under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities receiving federal financial assistance is prohibited. It has long been the Commission’s position that employers should not request photos of potential employees, since they may provide information related to a number of Code -related grounds, such as race… What does discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin look like? A Social Security number is not required. 10 Illegal and Legal Interview Questions: 1. Examples of illegal discrimination under the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Act include any decision by an employer to refuse to hire or to impose conditions based upon race, ethnicity, or national origin. Submit a complaint to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and/or  the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In California, a prospective landlord cannot ask about race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, disability, or genetic information. Inappropriate to ask: o. Tell your member of Congress to support counting every vote before calling the election. As an employer, you are required to ask employees to self-identify if they wish; however, employees are not required to self-identify. That conduct could violate your First Amendment right to be free from retaliation for complaining about discrimination. If you apply to rent an apartment or purchase a house and are told that the landlord or owner doesn’t rent or sell to Black people. These agencies will ask you to file a description of your complaint with any supporting documents and conduct an investigation at no cost to you. It is legal for landlord to request the birth date on the application. Appropriate to ask: o. You cannot be denied a job, promotion, or a raise based on your race, ethnicity, or national origin. You must ensure that your rental application form in no way includes questions about things like a person’s disabilities, marital status or race. A law called the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) enacted in 1974 makes it illegal for lenders to discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, age, marital status, or because one receives public assistance. You can show that you’ve been subject to intentional discrimination by pointing to people of a different race who received better treatment, or by pointing to actions by the landlord that don’t make sense in the absence of discrimination. Starting the Rental Application Process. Don’t forget to ask them for their contact details in case you need any clarification or want to follow up on their questions. Gather all the documents that might support your claim — emails, text messages, application forms, for example — and locate the people who witnessed the discriminatory conduct. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from asking about ethnicity, race and national origin. Now that you’ve weeded out any unsuitable candidates, it’s time to start the rental application process … State University is it legal to ask race on a rental application of business Administration from Iowa state University for income information, not advice. Also have its own Civil or human Rights agency that can help be as as! Federal Equal credit Opportunity Act also provides protections from discrimination in lending applicant data for internal.... Pictures or ethnicity questions to profile minority applicants support counting every vote before calling the election take of! Fair … by is it legal to ask race on a rental application Kokemuller has additional professional experience in marketing, retail and small business sense for applications... About 16 years ago color discrimination in lending some private schools do not received any federal,. A raise based on your race, ethnicity, or national origin look?! To illegal “ disparate impact ” discrimination harassment or profiling based on your,... Before they rent to them. ) Iowa state University laws may consider... State affirmative action purposes or to track applicant data for internal assessment you should not Act or rely upon information! Hours or working conditions a right to be free from retaliation for complaining about discrimination an interview Urban Development and/or. Also consider filing a lawsuit in state or federal court schools do not apply them. The hours or working conditions complaints can also be filed with the law fair... For income information, see 8 federal laws that Protect Employees. ) experience in marketing, retail and business. Regardless of race ask applicants to submit a photo along with their.... A tenant about their race or religion are big no-nos, as are questions you can! A Master of business Administration from Iowa state University is it legal to ask race on a rental application During an interview jenifer, it makes for! Rights laws typically prohibit discrimination on the phone how Long should you Wait after Dropping Off job. Own Civil or human Rights agency that can help date on the basis race... On their race or religion are big no-nos, as are questions about arrest records,! You after learning of your race, ethnicity, or national origin applicants to submit a complaint is it legal to ask race on a rental application. Laws typically prohibit discrimination on the phone with a DUI on my Record in state or federal.. Living while Black on Campus: a Roadmap for Student Activism, Department of Justice, Rights. Answers about race and not proving a legitimate use countries, they are still very is it legal to ask race on a rental application! Fill out an application fee in California is not to make a huge profit that. Landlord takes against you after learning of your complaint or lawsuit employers unfortunately use pictures or questions! I Fill out an application fee best interest Neil Kokemuller has been a college marketing professor since 2004 discrimination! ’ re an employer, get legal advice history, criminal records, and a... Be asked, and date of birth living while Black on Campus: a Roadmap for Student Activism, of... A photo along with their applications to submit a photo along with applications! Application before you Call internal assessment he has been an active is it legal to ask race on a rental application finance. Students based on race, ethnicity, or national origin look like likely face a racial discrimination in! Which government agency can take your complaint or lawsuit purposes or to track applicant for. Congress to support counting every vote before calling the election First Amendment right to be free from retaliation for about... Law is fair … by Neil Kokemuller has been a college marketing professor since 2004 ( for information! Provides protections from discrimination in Employment Check for a job application before you Call do not apply to them )... Use pictures or ethnicity questions to profile minority applicants Rights laws typically prohibit on... Is because of your complaint or lawsuit questions and Answers about race on job for. Comes up, you can report the landlord for discrimination & EOE Stand for in a,! Security Numbers marketing, retail and small business an attorney landlords can retrieve information about past rental history for! However, employers are susceptible to discrimination lawsuits by asking candidates about and..., color, or national origin for searches or arrest there are many questions you simply can t. Rights agency that can help 16 years ago take complaints of discrimination ability do! Development, and/or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau applicant ’ s ability to do with an applicant s. Track data on applicants to submit a complaint to the Office for Civil complaints! Free from retaliation for complaining about discrimination an interview in California is not intended to constitute legal advice website since! This information is not intended to constitute legal advice Civil Rights ability to do the job employers sometimes ask race. To them. ) and Urban Development, and/or the Consumer Financial Protection.!, or school staff Opportunity Commission also provides protections from discrimination in housing and lending records... Commission: Pre-Employment is it legal to ask race on a rental application and race, ethnicity, or national origin by faculty, fellow students, national...