A Georgia broker is developing an internal compliance policy to reduce fair-housing risk across the brokerage's daily operations, including tenant screening, buyer qualification, and property marketing. Which practice best aligns with Georgia and federal fair-housing requirements?

Correct Answer

A) Documenting neutral, objective business reasons for decisions and applying consistent criteria to all applicants regardless of protected-class status.

Both HUD guidance and the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity emphasize that licensees should use objective, consistently applied criteria—such as credit scores, income verification, and rental history—rather than subjective judgments that may reflect protected-class bias. Documenting these neutral criteria creates an evidentiary record that demonstrates non-discriminatory intent and helps defend against disparate-treatment and disparate-impact claims under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. § 3604) and Georgia's Fair Housing Act (O.C.G.A. § 8-3-202).