National origin words in real estate listings

Check national origin wording in your listing

Paste a sentence or your whole listing. It runs ListingLint's real rule engine in your browser; nothing is uploaded. asian neighborhoods, english only, citizens only

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A word check, not a legal review. Open the full checker for fixes, the fact lock and the MLS character count.

Avoid

Avoid means an explicit preference or limitation, or a phrase on the avoid side of the cited word lists. This is the risk end of the scale, not a style choice.

• asian neighborhoods Avoid

  Describing residents or a neighborhood by nationality or ethnicity states a national-origin preference. HUD's memo gives "no Irish" as an example; describing the neighborhood in ethnic terms creates liability.

• english only Avoid

  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).

• citizens only Avoid

  Citizenship or immigration limits in an ad are on the avoid lists and can read as national-origin discrimination. Some states and cities also protect citizenship status.

Caution

Caution means the phrase is on the caution side of the cited lists, or describes people in a way that usually reads as a preference. Many agents still use some of these; the safer move is to describe the property instead.

• latinos Caution

  Ethnic terms describe people, not the property. They're on the avoid side of every cited list.

• oriental design Caution

  "Oriental" is on the avoid lists. If you're describing a design detail, name the detail itself (a rug, a garden, a style) instead.

• foreigners Caution

  A description of people by national origin. Leave it out.

• all-american neighborhood Caution

  Describing an area as "all-American" is a description of the residents' national origin or ethnicity. Lists flag nationality references of any kind.

OK

OK means a cited source treats it as acceptable. Any alternative shown is a house-style preference some offices or MLSs ask for, not a legal requirement.

• spanish style OK

  Architecture and material descriptions (Spanish-style, French doors, Italian marble) describe the property, not people. HUD's 1995 memo says facially neutral descriptions don't create liability.

• chinatown OK

  An official neighborhood name is on the acceptable side of the NYPA and CRMLS lists. Just don't add commentary about who lives there.

Sources

• HUD "Achtenberg memo": Guidance Regarding Advertisements Under §804(c), Jan. 9, 1995
• HUD advertising regulation, 24 CFR § 100.75
• Long Island Board of REALTORS®: Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase Guidelines (Mar. 2025)
• Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase List (New York Press Assn.; source: Oklahoma Press Assn.)
• CRMLS Fair Housing Word & Phrase List (Apr. 2021)

The law behind the lists

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to publish a housing ad that indicates a preference, limitation or discrimination based on a protected class, and HUD's advertising regulation spells out how that applies to ads. The word lists above are how boards and MLSs put that into practice.

• Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3604(c)
• HUD advertising regulation, 24 CFR § 100.75

Not legal advice. Word lists can't judge context, and laws differ by state and city; some states and cities protect more classes than federal law. When a listing matters, ask your broker or a fair housing attorney. ListingLint rules v2026.10.2.