Fair Housing Quiz Answer Key and Explanations

 April 04, 2022
Fair Housing Quiz Answer Key
  1. D. The licensee can offer resources and community contacts based on what the buyer is looking for to assist them in their evaluation.

  2. A. REALTOR® A’s discussion comments were not intended to convey a discriminatory opinion and did not constitute hate speech or slurs. The Confederate flag could be reasonably construed as indicating a racial preference or illegal discrimination based on a protected class. REALTOR® B’s post constituted the use of discriminatory hate speech and slurs based on race. While REALTOR® C’s comments were addressed to a group of both men and women, they included disparaging, discriminatory comments about women that can be seen as harassing speech.

  3. C. Use of the words “adult” or “adult community” in an advertisement or informational material, or when describing the community to prospective buyers or members of the public, does not demonstrate an intent to be “55 and over” housing for older persons. If a facility or community has clearly shown in other ways that it intends to operate as housing for older persons, meets the 80% requirement and has in place age verification procedures, the use of these terms does not negate other demonstrations of the intent requirement.

  4. C. Steering occurs when an agent limits the housing options available to a buyer by directing prospective homebuyers interested in equivalent properties to different neighborhoods or communities according to the buyer’s race or other characteristics protected under the Fair Housing Act. If an agent expresses his or her own positive or negative views about certain communities or schools, the purpose of which is to direct a buyer either toward or away from a community, then that agent may be stating a housing preference based on race or familial status or religion.

  5. D. How a licensee provides information or responds to inquiries about schools may raise fair housing concerns. Discussions about schools can raise questions about steering if there is a correlation between the quality of the schools and neighborhood racial composition — or if characterizations such as “a school with low test scores” or “a community with declining schools” become code words for racial or other differences in the community. Equal professional service means giving homebuyers the resources they need to make the decision for themselves — for their kids. Agents should not substitute their own judgment for the buyer’s regarding what makes a school good.

  6. B. Under the HUD tenant screening standards, arrest records are not a valid reason to deny a rental applicant, and blanket standards rejecting any applicant with any criminal convictions is discriminatory and in violation of the Fair Housing Act. There is one exception to HUD’s rule: blanket standards disallowing anyone convicted of drug manufacture or distribution are allowed. In addition, convicted criminals possibly may be denied housing if the reason for their conviction(s) clearly puts the safety of other tenants or the property at risk.

  7. A. Good sources of foreign language interpreters include universities and local organizations serving cultural groups. The WRA’s cultural diversity resources webpage at www.wra.org/culturaldiversity includes a list of Wisconsin interpreters as well as a sample consent form for interpretation services establishing liability protections. 

  8. D. Federal fair housing law and Wis. Stat. § 106.50(2r)(b)3 provide it is discrimination to deny persons with disabilities reasonable modifications such as installing a ramp into a building, lowering the entry threshold of a unit or installing grab bars in a bathroom. In many cases, the tenant would not have to pay to remove the modifications unless the landlord can show that the modifications would negatively impact the future use of the property.

  9. C. If a real estate licensee has a home office where business is conducted with customers, the office and access route to the office within the home must comply with the ADA because it is a place of business open to the public.

  10. E. All of the phrases may call into question fair housing concerns. Safe neighborhood, for instance, is subjective and there is no basis for telling potential buyers what type of experience they’ll have in a neighborhood. One person’s assessment of what is considered safe or quiet may not be someone else’s. This also may be coded language to describe neighborhoods that are predominately white, upscale or child-free. Use mileage instead of “walking distance.” Using a specific church as a local landmark suggests not only that the buyer should be churchgoing, but that they should be from a specific denomination. A fenced backyard can be enjoyed by those without children, and the property description should not make assumptions about the makeup of the people who will live there. A reference to a she-shed or man-cave can be alienating — a person who enjoys watching football or woodworking can be any gender. As always, objectively describe the property — not the desired buyer or the neighbors!
Copyright 1998 - 2024 Wisconsin REALTORS® Association. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy   |   Terms of Use   |   Accessibility   |   Real Estate Continuing Education