Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Pennsylvania

rent breaks for families

we live in a split-level house next to a family of five and are currently college students. Our landlord offers a ''family discount'' to our neighbors and we pay 250$ more than they do each month. The fair housing act prohibits a landlord to ''set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling'' based on familial status. Would this apply to our situation?


Asked on 2/08/04, 8:58 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Re: rent breaks for families

Are you paying too much for your house? If so, leave, if not, don't be upset that someone else is getting a better deal. That law is designed to apply to identical apartments offered at the same point in time. In other words, if I have 5 vacant units, and I want to rent them, maybe I have to drop my rental price to fill them. I can't offer one to you for $1,000 because you look arab or you are French, and rent to another family of 4 at $800 for an identical unit. The state does not want discrimination. But if I have trouble renting, or I want to charge more for a family (vs. a couple) or a larger family, I can do that (more people = more wear and tear). I can charge more for folks with pets, I can charge more for smokers, or I could charge less for my nephew, or a single female.

Come on... put your energy into real problems.

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Answered on 2/10/04, 2:00 pm


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