Steering code words / Fair Housing phrase guide
Is "preferred community" a Fair Housing violation in a listing?
Avoid Flagged as high risk: most word lists put this on the avoid side.
Why
"Preferred community" is on the avoid side of all three cited lists. Preferred by whom is the problem.
Safer wording
- desirable community
Check your whole listing in seconds
Paste any draft, including AI-written copy. Every risky phrase lights up with the reason and a safer rewrite. Free, and it runs in your browser: your text is never uploaded.
Open the free checkerSources
- 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 steer-preferred, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.