Other Tenant or Housing Issues

Unfair or even unlawful treatment by an owner is not necessarily discriminatory.  Housing discrimination occurs when an individual or family is treated differently than others because of their membership in a protected class. 

Examples of issues that are not fair housing issues:

• The landlord does not provide heat in an ethnically diverse building; everyone is treated the same because heat is a building-wide service and it is not a fair housing issue.
• The superintendent requires "key" money from all applicants. This practice is illegal but it is not discriminatory and is not a fair housing issue.
• The landlord refuses to paint a disabled tenant's apartment, as well as the apartments of her non-disabled neighbors.  Because her disability is not a factor in his refusal, this is not a fair housing issue.

If you have a housing issue that does not involve discrimination, visit the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development's website to learn more about tenant rights and responsibilities, including safety issues, harassment, housing court, and rent issues.

If you are looking for affordable housing opportunities, visit the New York City Department of Housing Preservation & Development's website.  Learn more about affordable housing opportunities.