Prohibited Words & Guidance.
The following words are prohibited by the Fair Housing Act.
Able-bodied
Active
Adult community*
Adult friendly
Adult living*
Adults only*
Adult park*
Adults preferred
African
African American
Age
Agile
American
American Indian
Ancestry
Appalachian
Asian
Bachelor
Black(s)
Board approval required
Buddhist
Cash assistance
Catholic
Caucasian
Chicano
Child(ren), (number of)
Chinese
Christian
Citizens only
Colored
Couples or Couples only
Employment verification
Empty Nesters
English Only
Ethnic Reference
Exclusive (i.e. neighborhood)
Family or Great for Family
Female(s) only, woman
FHEP (rental supplement)
Gay(s)
Gender Identity/Expression
Group Homes
Healthy Only
Heterosexual
Hindu
Hispanic
Homosexual
Hungarian
Independent Living
Indian
Integrated
Irish
Islamic
Italian
Jewish
Landlord (description)
Latino
Lesbian(s)
LGBTQ
LINC (rental program)
Low Income
Men Only
Married Marital Status
Mature Couple
Mature Person(s)
Membership Appr. required
Mexican
Mexican American
Mormon
Mosque
Muslim
Must comply with…
Must be employed
Nationality
Near Synagogue(s) or Mosque(s)
Near Temple(s) or Shrine
Near Church(es)
Negro
Newlyweds
No AIDS/HIV
No Alcoholic/Drinkers
No Children
No Criminal Records/Convict
No Crippled, Impaired or Disabled
No Deaf or Blind
No Disability
No Mentally disabled/handicap
No Mentally Ill
No Migrant or Seasonal Workers
No Play area
No Public Assistance
No Retarded
No Section 8
No Smokers
No Social Security Insurance (SSI)
No Programs
No Unemployed
No Veteran or Service Member
No Wheelchairs
Not Suitable for Disabled
Not for Handicapped
Non married
Non-citizen
Not suitable for…
Older person(s)
One child or One Child Only
One person
Only (race/religion) apply
Oriental
Parish
Paystub required
Perfect for….
Philippine
Physically fit only
Polish
Preferred community
Pregnancy Protestant
Puerto Rican
Queer
Quiet Tenants
Racial references
Reference to Private Clubs
Reference to Private Schools
Religious reference
Responsible
Restricted
Safe neighborhood
School designations
Sex, gender, or sexual orientation
Single woman, man
Single or Singles only
Singles Preferred
Source of Income
Spanish Speaking
Stable
Straight only
Tenant Description
Transgender
Two People
Verifiable Income
Victim of domestic abuse
White or White Only
Young
*May be permitted when requirements meet FHA criteria for housing of older persons.
Additional Guidance & Criteria.
Floridians are entitled by law to rent a place to live or buy a home without a consideration of their race, color,
national origin, sex, handicap, familiar status, or religion.
The Fair Housing Act is a federal law that prohibits discrimination in homes sales, financing and rentals based
on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Florida Statue 760.20-760-37 also prohibits discrimination
based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status, or religion.
RACE: Landlords cannot consider the race of a tenant or prospective tenant when making decisions about their
housing.
COLOR: The color of a perspective tenant or buyer cannot play any role in a person’s ability to have access to
housing.
RELIGION: The religion you practice or do not practice cannot give you preferential treatment or cause you to
not be considered for a property.
NATIONAL ORIGIN: Where your family is from should not play into a landlord or seller’s decision to rent or
sell their property.
SEX/GENDER: Landlords cannot consider the sex of a tenant or prospective tenant when making a decision
about their housing.
DISABILITY: Under the law, a disability is a physical or mental impairment that can substantially limit one or
more major life activities. This can include things such as chronic illness, mental illness, HIV/AIDS, recovery
from alcoholism, drug addiction or a physical handicap, among others.
FAMILIAL STATUS: This class covers children under 18 living with parents or others with legal custody, or
with a designee of the parent with written permission, a person who is pregnant or a person who is seeking
custody of a person under 18. Not only can landlords not refuse to sell or rent to families with children, but
they may not deem a property “adults only”. In addition, if you are charged a per person rental fee, this may be
considered discrimination based on familial status.
When in doubt, remember:
NEVER USE: ethnic references – Black, White, American Indian
NEVER USE: nationalities – Chinese, African, German, Italian
NEVER USE: religious references – near temple, mosque, church, synagogue
NEVER USE: sex, gender or sexual orientation (male, female, transgender, homosexual, gay)