Religion / Fair Housing phrase guide
Is "church" OK in a listing? It depends
Depends Context matters: fine in some uses, a problem in others. Both sides are explained below.
Why
Context matters. Describing the property itself (a converted church loft) or a place name (Temple Terrace) is fine under HUD's memo. Using a house of worship as a selling point is what the word lists warn against.
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)
- 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 rel-worship, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.