law
familial status
A protected class under the federal Fair Housing Act covering households with one or more children under 18 living with a parent, legal guardian, or designee, as well as pregnant persons and those securing custody of a child. Housing providers may not refuse to rent or sell, steer, or set different terms because of children. Qualified housing for older persons is a limited exemption.
- Exam tip
- Familial status was added by the 1988 amendments, along with disability. Watch for exemption questions involving 55+ or 62+ senior housing.
- Example
- A landlord who tells a couple with a toddler that only second-floor units are available to families with kids is discriminating based on familial status.
Related terms & state variants
Sources
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Last verified: 2026-10-23