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Fair housingSubject 9 of 19

Protected characteristic

A protected characteristic is a personal characteristic that fair housing law protects from discrimination.

Direct answer

What does protected characteristic mean?

A protected characteristic is a personal characteristic that fair housing law protects from discrimination.

Exam cue: New York State protects more characteristics than federal law, and local law may add others.

What does it look like in a question?

Example

A housing provider reviews current federal, state and applicable local requirements before setting a policy.

Common exam trap

What should you not confuse it with?

The federal list is not enough for a New York question. State law also covers characteristics such as age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, citizenship or immigration status and lawful source of income.

Related fair housing terms

Assistance animalAn assistance animal is an animal that works, provides assistance or performs tasks, or provides disability-related emotional support under applicable housing rules.BlockbustingBlockbusting is inducing or attempting to induce a sale or rental by suggesting that protected-class entry or change will cause harmful neighborhood effects.Disparate treatmentDisparate treatment is treating a person differently from others because of a protected characteristic.Fair housing testingFair housing testing is a method of comparing housing experiences using people with matched profiles to identify possible discrimination.Familial statusFamilial status is a protected class under federal and New York law covering households with a child under 18, pregnant persons and people gaining custody of a child.Implicit biasImplicit bias is an attitude or association that affects a person's judgment without the person being aware of it.
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