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Practice Of Real EstateFair_housingHARD

A licensed real estate broker in Waterbury is assisting a landlord who owns a two-unit, owner-occupied building. The landlord instructs the broker to advertise the unit as preferred for 'working professionals only' and to decline applicants who rely on disability benefits as their primary income source. The broker follows the landlord's instructions. Which of the following best describes the legal consequences under Connecticut law?

Correct Answer

C) Both the landlord and the broker face liability: the landlord because use of a broker voids the owner-occupant exemption, and the broker because Connecticut law prohibits licensees from following client instructions that violate fair housing laws.

Under CGS § 46a-64b, once a licensed broker is involved, the owner-occupant exemption is void, exposing the landlord to full fair housing liability. The instruction to decline applicants based on disability benefits (a lawful source of income and a disability-related characteristic) violates Connecticut's Fair Housing Act. Additionally, Connecticut licensees have an independent professional duty not to carry out client instructions that violate fair housing laws. The broker faces both license discipline under CGS Chapter 392 and civil liability under CUTPA and the Fair Housing Act for following discriminatory directives.

Answer Options
A
Neither the landlord nor the broker faces liability because the owner-occupant exemption protects both parties from fair housing claims when the building has two or fewer units.
B
Only the landlord faces liability because the broker was acting under client instructions and has no independent duty to refuse discriminatory directives.
C
Both the landlord and the broker face liability: the landlord because use of a broker voids the owner-occupant exemption, and the broker because Connecticut law prohibits licensees from following client instructions that violate fair housing laws.
D
Only the broker faces liability because licensed professionals bear sole responsibility for fair housing compliance in any transaction they participate in.

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

fair_housingexemptionsbroker_liabilityowner_occupantlawful_source_of_incomedisabilitycutpa

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