ALL employees of (insert
name of firm) will adhere to the Fair Housing provisions as set out in the Code
of Virginia. These provisions include, but are not limited to:
Ҥ 36-96.3. Unlawful
discriminatory housing practices.
A. It shall be an
unlawful discriminatory housing practice for any person:
1. To refuse to sell or
rent after the making of a bona fide offer or to refuse to negotiate for the
sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any
person because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, or
familial status;
2. To discriminate
against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of
a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in the connection
therewith to any person because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex,
elderliness, or familial status;
3. To make, print, or
publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published any notice, statement, or
advertisement, with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates
any preference, limitation, or discrimination or an intention to make any such
preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion,
national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, or handicap. The use of
words or symbols associated with a particular religion, national origin, sex, or
race shall be prima facie evidence of an illegal preference under this chapter
which shall not be overcome by a general disclaimer. However, reference alone to
places of worship including, but not limited to, churches, synagogues, temples,
or mosques in any such notice, statement or advertisement shall not be prima
facie evidence of an illegal preference;
4. To represent to any
person because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness,
familial status, or handicap that any dwelling is not available for inspection,
sale, or rental when such dwelling is in fact so available;
5. To deny any person
access to membership in or participation in any multiple listing service, real
estate brokers' organization, or other service, organization or facility
relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings, or to discriminate
against such person in the terms or conditions of such access, membership, or
participation because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex,
elderliness, familial status, or handicap;
6. To include in any
transfer, sale, rental, or lease of housing, any restrictive covenant that
discriminates because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex,
elderliness, familial status, or handicap or for any person to honor or
exercise, or attempt to honor or exercise any such discriminatory covenant
pertaining to housing;
7. To induce or attempt
to induce to sell or rent any dwelling by representations regarding the entry or
prospective entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons of a particular
race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, or
handicap;
8. To refuse to sell or
rent, or refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise
discriminate or make unavailable or deny a dwelling because of a handicap of (i)
the buyer or renter, (ii) a person residing in or intending to reside in that
dwelling after it is so sold, rented or made available, or (iii) any person
associated with the buyer or renter;
9. To discriminate
against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of
a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection
therewith because of a handicap of (i) that person, (ii) a person residing in or
intending to reside in that dwelling after it was so sold, rented or made
available, or (iii) any person associated with that buyer or renter.
B. For the purposes of
this section, discrimination includes: (i) a refusal to permit, at the expense
of the handicapped person, reasonable modifications of existing premises
occupied or to be occupied by any person if such modifications may be necessary
to afford such person full enjoyment of the premises; except that, in the case
of a rental, the landlord may, where it is reasonable to do so, condition
permission for a modification on the renter's agreeing to restore the interior
of the premises to the condition that existed before the modification,
reasonable wear and tear excepted; (ii) a refusal to make reasonable
accommodations in rules, practices, policies, or services when such
accommodations may be necessary to afford such person equal opportunity to use
and enjoy a dwelling; or (iii) in connection with the design and construction of
covered multi-family dwellings for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, a
failure to design and construct dwellings in such a manner that:
1. The public use and
common use areas of the dwellings are readily accessible to and usable by
handicapped persons;
2. All the doors
designed to allow passage into and within all premises are sufficiently wide to
allow passage by handicapped persons in wheelchairs; and
3. All premises within
covered multi-family dwelling units contain an accessible route into and through
the dwelling; light switches, electrical outlets, thermostats, and other
environmental controls are in accessible locations; there are reinforcements in
the bathroom walls to allow later installation of grab bars; and there are
usable kitchens and bathrooms such that an individual in a wheelchair can
maneuver about the space. As used in this subdivision the term "covered
multi-family dwellings" means buildings consisting of four or more units if such
buildings have one or more elevators and ground floor units in other buildings
consisting of four or more units.
C. Compliance with the
appropriate requirements of the American National Standards for Building and
Facilities (commonly cited as "ANSI A117.1") or with any other standards adopted
as part of regulations promulgated by HUD providing accessibility and usability
for physically handicapped people shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of
subdivision B 3.
D. Nothing in this
chapter shall be construed to invalidate or limit any Virginia law or regulation
which requires dwellings to be designed and constructed in a manner that affords
handicapped persons greater access than is required by this chapter.
(1972, c. 591, § 36-88; 1973, c. 358; 1978, c. 138;
1984, c. 685; 1985, c. 344; 1989, c. 88; 1991, c. 557; 1992, c. 322; 1996, c.
327.)”
In
addition to the above-referenced provisions within the Code of Virginia, ALL
employees of (insert name of firm) will adhere to the following REALTOR® Code of
Ethics, as they pertain to Fair Housing.
They are
as follows:
“· Article
10
REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for
reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national
origin. REALTORS® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate
against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
handicap, familial status, or national origin. (Amended 1/90)
REALTORS®,
in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any
person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial
status, or national origin. (Amended 1/00)
· Standard of
Practice 10-1
REALTORS® shall not volunteer information regarding the
racial, religious or ethnic composition of any neighborhood and shall not engage
in any activity which may result in panic selling. REALTORS® shall not print,
display or circulate any statement or advertisement with respect to the selling
or renting of a property that indicates any preference, limitations or
discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status,
or national origin. (Adopted 1/94)
· Standard of
Practice 10-2
As used in Article 10 "real estate employment practices"
relates to employees and independent contractors providing real-estate related
services and the administrative and clerical staff directly supporting those
individuals. (Adopted 1/00)”
Furthermore and in
addition to the above-referenced policies, ALL employees of (insert name of
firm) will adhere to the following policies, as they pertain to Fair Housing
guidelines.
They are as
follows:
(Insert
policies that will pertain to your firm and its employees)