Sex, incl. sexual orientation & gender identity / Fair Housing phrase guide
Is "women only" a Fair Housing violation in a listing?
Avoid Flagged as high risk: most word lists put this on the avoid side.
Why
An explicit sex preference or limitation for a dwelling. HUD's memo: ads for single-family homes or separate units should contain no preference based on sex.
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.)
Related phrases
Not legal advice. Word lists can't judge context, and laws differ by state and city. Rule sex-only, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.