Steering code words / Fair Housing phrase guide
"safe neighborhood" in a real estate listing: Fair Housing caution
Caution Flagged as a caution: it often reads as a preference for, or against, a group of people.
Why
"Safe neighborhood" is on the caution lists (LIBOR prohibits it). Safety claims are often read as coded language about who lives there, and you can't verify them. If there's a real feature, name it (gated entry, monitored lobby).
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 steer-safe, ListingLint rules v2026.10.1.