Disability / Fair Housing phrase guide
Is "non-drinkers only" a Fair Housing violation in a listing?
Avoid Flagged as high risk: most word lists put this on the avoid side.
Why
Describes or excludes people (recovering alcoholics and addicts can be protected as people with disabilities). HUD's memo says describing required conduct ("non-smoking", "sober") is fine. Describing the people is not.
Safer wording
Describe the property, not the people: rewrite this part by hand.
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- HUD "Achtenberg memo": Guidance Regarding Advertisements Under §804(c), Jan. 9, 1995
- Long Island Board of REALTORS®: Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase Guidelines (Mar. 2025)
- CRMLS Fair Housing Word & Phrase List (Apr. 2021)
- Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase List (New York Press Assn.; source: Oklahoma Press Assn.)
Related phrases
Not legal advice. Word lists can't judge context, and laws differ by state and city. Rule dis-drinkers, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.