Familial status / Fair Housing phrase guide
Is "adults only" a Fair Housing violation in a listing?
Avoid Flagged as high risk: most word lists put this on the avoid side.
Why
A preference for adults, which HUD's memo says ads may not state. It's only permitted when the property legally qualifies as housing for older persons (55+ or 62+ under the HOPA exemption). If it does, say so precisely ("55+ community").
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.)
- Housing for older persons exemption, 42 U.S.C. § 3607(b)
Related phrases
Not legal advice. Word lists can't judge context, and laws differ by state and city. Rule fam-adults-only, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.