National origin / Fair Housing phrase guide
Is "english only" a Fair Housing violation in a listing?
Avoid Flagged as high risk: most word lists put this on the avoid side.
Why
Language requirements or language-based descriptions of an area are treated as national-origin preferences ("English only" and "Spanish speaking" are on the avoid lists).
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 nat-language, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.