Free New York Fair Housing Practice Test — LicenseIQ

Question 1

To whom must the New York State Housing and Anti-Discrimination Disclosure Form be provided at first substantive contact?

Accepted Answer

19 NYCRR §175.28 requires the form at first substantive contact with prospective purchasers, tenants, sellers and landlords statewide.

Question 2

A building has a no-pets policy. An applicant who is blind has a guide dog. The property manager must:

Accepted Answer

Fair housing law requires reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, including service animals despite no-pet rules.

Question 3

Under 19 NYCRR §175.29, the DOS Fair Housing and Anti-Discrimination Notice must be displayed in all of these places EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

The notice must be posted in the window of each office and branch, on all licensee websites, and at open houses. There is no requirement to keep it inside every listed home at all times.

Question 4

A person who believes she suffered housing discrimination under the federal Fair Housing Act may file a complaint with HUD within:

Accepted Answer

HUD complaints must be filed within one year; a federal civil suit may be filed within two years.

Question 5

Which class is protected in housing under the New York City Human Rights Law but is not specifically named in the State Human Rights Law?

Accepted Answer

The NYC law protects lawful occupation and partnership status in housing, in addition to the classes the state also protects. Race, disability and familial status are protected under both.

Question 6

A lender's refusal to make loans in certain neighborhoods based on demographics is:

Accepted Answer

Redlining is denying loans or services to areas based on protected characteristics rather than the borrower's qualifications.

Question 7

Directing buyers toward or away from neighborhoods based on protected class is:

Accepted Answer

Steering is illegally guiding people to or from areas based on a protected characteristic. Blockbusting induces panic selling; redlining is a lending practice.

Question 8

Since when has New York State prohibited housing discrimination based on lawful source of income?

Accepted Answer

The source-of-income amendment took effect April 12, 2019. June 11, 2025 is the FARE Act date, and March 20, 2024 is the PCDA amendment date.

Question 9

A developer's ads for a new subdivision always show only people of one race. This may be:

Accepted Answer

Consistently depicting only one race, sex or family type can indicate a preference and violate fair housing advertising rules.

Question 10

Which Article of the NAR Code of Ethics requires REALTORS not to deny equal professional services or discriminate on protected characteristics?

Accepted Answer

Article 10 addresses equal professional services and fair housing. Article 1 covers duties to clients, Article 3 cooperation and Article 17 arbitration.

Question 11

The federal Fair Housing Act (1968) protects all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Federal protected classes: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status - not occupation.

Question 12

For a housing discrimination incident occurring in 2026, how long does a person have to file a complaint with the NYS Division of Human Rights?

Accepted Answer

For incidents on or after February 15, 2024, the DHR filing deadline is three years. One year was the old deadline, which still applies to older incidents.

Question 13

Under the Housing for Older Persons Act, a '55 and older' community generally requires that:

Accepted Answer

55+ housing requires at least 80% of occupied units to have one resident 55+; 62+ housing requires all residents to be 62+. The exemption applies only to familial status.

Question 14

Which group of classes is protected in housing under New York State law?

Accepted Answer

The State Human Rights Law protects age, marital status, military status and citizenship or immigration status, among others. None of the other groupings are protected classes under state law.

Question 15

A religious organization operating housing for non-commercial purposes may give preference to members of its own religion, but it may NOT:

Accepted Answer

Religious organizations and private clubs have partial exemptions, but cannot discriminate on other protected classes, and the religion itself cannot restrict membership by race, color or national origin.

Question 16

Inducing owners to sell by suggesting people of a protected class are moving in is:

Accepted Answer

Blockbusting (panic peddling) is illegal under the Fair Housing Act.

Question 17

Within the 22.5 required CE hours, how many hours must cover fair housing and/or discrimination in the sale or rental of real property?

Accepted Answer

At least 3 hours must cover fair housing and/or discrimination. Two hours is tempting because implicit bias and cultural competency are each 2 hours, but those are separate requirements.

Question 18

Refusing to rent to a family with children generally violates which protected class?

Accepted Answer

Familial status (households with children under 18, pregnant women) is protected under the federal Fair Housing Act. Marital status is protected under NJ LAD but not federal law.

Question 19

A listing where the seller may sell themselves without owing commission, but only the listing broker among agents is protected, is:

Accepted Answer

In an exclusive agency listing, the seller pays no commission on a self-sale, but the listing broker is protected if any broker sells it. (Reclassified to section 6 / CORE.)

Question 20

Under the State Human Rights Law, the maximum civil fine for an unlawful discriminatory practice found to be willful, wanton or malicious is:

Accepted Answer

Executive Law §297(4)(c) allows civil fines and penalties up to $50,000, or up to $100,000 if the act was willful, wanton or malicious. The $50,000 distractor is the ordinary maximum. The $2,000 figure is the DOS license-fine cap.

Question 21

A Manhattan landlord tells an agent, 'No musicians, and no unmarried couples.' Under the NYC Human Rights Law, these instructions involve which protected classes?

Accepted Answer

The City law protects lawful occupation (musicians) and marital or partnership status (unmarried couples). The agent must refuse both instructions.

Question 22

The 'Mrs. Murphy' exemption under the federal Fair Housing Act applies to an owner who:

Accepted Answer

The exemption covers owner-occupied 1-4 unit buildings rented without a broker and never permits discriminatory advertising.

Question 23

A private individual selling her own single-family home may be exempt from the federal Fair Housing Act if she owns no more than three homes and:

Accepted Answer

The single-family owner exemption requires no broker and no discriminatory advertising. Race discrimination is never exempt under the 1866 Civil Rights Act.

Question 24

Which characteristic is protected in housing under the New York State Human Rights Law but NOT under the federal Fair Housing Act?

Accepted Answer

New York added lawful source of income in 2019. Race, national origin and disability are protected under both federal and state law.

Question 25

Which ad phrase is most likely to violate fair housing advertising rules?

Accepted Answer

References that exclude or prefer protected classes, such as familial status ('no kids'), are discriminatory. Describe the property, not the desired buyer or tenant.

New York real estate fair housing practice test

1. To whom must the New York State Housing and Anti-Discrimination Disclosure Form be provided at first substantive contact?

2. A building has a no-pets policy. An applicant who is blind has a guide dog. The property manager must:

3. Under 19 NYCRR §175.29, the DOS Fair Housing and Anti-Discrimination Notice must be displayed in all of these places EXCEPT:

4. A person who believes she suffered housing discrimination under the federal Fair Housing Act may file a complaint with HUD within:

5. Which class is protected in housing under the New York City Human Rights Law but is not specifically named in the State Human Rights Law?

6. A lender's refusal to make loans in certain neighborhoods based on demographics is:

7. Directing buyers toward or away from neighborhoods based on protected class is:

8. Since when has New York State prohibited housing discrimination based on lawful source of income?

9. A developer's ads for a new subdivision always show only people of one race. This may be:

10. Which Article of the NAR Code of Ethics requires REALTORS not to deny equal professional services or discriminate on protected characteristics?

11. The federal Fair Housing Act (1968) protects all of the following EXCEPT:

12. For a housing discrimination incident occurring in 2026, how long does a person have to file a complaint with the NYS Division of Human Rights?

13. Under the Housing for Older Persons Act, a '55 and older' community generally requires that:

14. Which group of classes is protected in housing under New York State law?

15. A religious organization operating housing for non-commercial purposes may give preference to members of its own religion, but it may NOT:

16. Inducing owners to sell by suggesting people of a protected class are moving in is:

17. Within the 22.5 required CE hours, how many hours must cover fair housing and/or discrimination in the sale or rental of real property?

18. Refusing to rent to a family with children generally violates which protected class?

19. A listing where the seller may sell themselves without owing commission, but only the listing broker among agents is protected, is:

20. Under the State Human Rights Law, the maximum civil fine for an unlawful discriminatory practice found to be willful, wanton or malicious is:

21. A Manhattan landlord tells an agent, 'No musicians, and no unmarried couples.' Under the NYC Human Rights Law, these instructions involve which protected classes?

22. The 'Mrs. Murphy' exemption under the federal Fair Housing Act applies to an owner who:

23. A private individual selling her own single-family home may be exempt from the federal Fair Housing Act if she owns no more than three homes and:

24. Which characteristic is protected in housing under the New York State Human Rights Law but NOT under the federal Fair Housing Act?

25. Which ad phrase is most likely to violate fair housing advertising rules?

Sources