Familial status / Fair Housing phrase guide
Is "one person only" OK in a listing? It depends
Depends Context matters: fine in some uses, a problem in others. Both sides are explained below.
Why
Occupancy limits can be lawful when they follow a reasonable local occupancy code, but "one person" and "two people" are on the caution lists because they can effectively exclude families. Cite the code or leave it for the application.
Safer wording
Describe the property, not the people: rewrite this part by hand.
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- 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 fam-occupant-count, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.