Rental Company Accused of Bias Against Kids
Published: June 7, 2010

MASSACHUSETTS LAWYERS WEEKLY

     The Legal Assistance Corp. of Central Massachusetts has filed a housing discrimination complaint claiming that a Worcester real estate company and a condominium association routinely violated fair housing laws by discouraging families with children from renting.

     The complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development alleges that Scott Cheney, a real estate agent for Seth Campbell Realty Group, and Keller Williams Realty Inc., engaged in unlawful housing discrimination by discouraging parents from renting apartments at the Fremont Lofts Condominiums in Worcester, a complex with approximately 100 units.

     The LACCM-run Worcester Fair Housing Project began investigating the defendants' practices in the summer of 2009. As part of its investigation, LACCM used housing discrimination "testers" to determine whether landlords and real estate agents are engage in discriminator practices.

     The testing revealed that the defendants consistently discouraged prospective tenants from renting the lofts after the applicants revealed that they had young children. The complaint alleges that Cheney informed the testers that the property was not "kid friendly," that the other occupants were very "noise conscious," and that the neighborhood was bad for children.

     The Federal Fair Housing Act, which was originally passed in 1968, was amended in 1988 to include the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of familial status.