The Fair Housing Office advocates for compliance with the Federal Fair Housing Act and Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 515 which makes it illegal for an owner or any other person engaging in a real estate transaction, or for a real estate broker or salesperson to discriminate because of race, sex, including gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, color, religion, marital status, familial status, ancestry, disability, age, or human immunodeficiency virus infection.

What is prohibited?
On the basis of "protected class," no one may refuse to rent or sell housing, set different terms or conditions for sale or rental of a dwelling, or falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental.  It is illegal for a housing provider to threaten or coerce anyone exercising a fair housing right; or advertise or make any statement that indicates a limitation or preference based on "protected class."  If a tenant has a disability, a housing provider may not refuse to let the tenants make reasonable modifications to the dwelling or common areas, at their expense, to allow use of the premises; or refuse to allow reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices or services for the disabled person to use the dwelling.

What is not prohibited?
In general, while the Fair Housing Act covers most types of housing, it contains several exemptions, including single family homes sold or rented without the use of a real estate broker, housing operated by religious organizations and private clubs that limit the sale or occupancy to its members, and housing designed and occupied by elderly persons under a government program.

Call Fair Housing Officer Michael Shiroma at 768-7751 for assistance in filing complaint applications at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or State of Hawaii Civil Rights Commission (HCRC).

To learn more, go to the U.S. HUD "FHEO: fair Housing-It's Your Right," at
http://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/FHLaws/index.cfm or call 522-8182 ext. 269.

To learn more, go to the State of Hawaii Civil Rights Commission (HCRC) "Discrimination in Real Property Transactions," at  http://www.state.hi.us/hcrc/HRS515.html or call 586-8636.

To learn more about rental contracts, go to the State of Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) "Residential Landlord-Tenant Code of the Hawaii revised Statutes," at http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca/areas/ocp/landlord_tenant/.