EstatePass
Practice Of Real EstateFair_housingHARD

A Mississippi property management company operates an apartment complex and has a written policy of refusing applications from any person who has been arrested but not convicted of a crime. A prospective tenant who was arrested but never convicted is denied housing and files a fair housing complaint. Under the Mississippi Fair Housing Act, which of the following is the most accurate analysis?

Correct Answer

D) The policy may violate fair housing law if it has a disparate impact on a protected class, even though arrest record itself is not a protected class in Mississippi

Arrest record is not itself a protected class under the Mississippi Fair Housing Act or the federal Fair Housing Act. However, HUD has issued guidance indicating that blanket policies excluding persons based on arrest records (without conviction) may violate fair housing law under a disparate impact theory if the policy disproportionately excludes members of a protected class such as race or national origin. Therefore, the policy is not automatically lawful simply because arrest record is not a listed protected class.

Answer Options
A
The policy violates the Mississippi Fair Housing Act because arrest record is an explicitly protected class under state law
B
The policy violates the Mississippi Fair Housing Act because criminal history is treated as a proxy for national origin under state law
C
The policy is fully lawful because neither Mississippi nor federal fair housing law protects arrest record as a class
D
The policy may violate fair housing law if it has a disparate impact on a protected class, even though arrest record itself is not a protected class in Mississippi

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Sign up free to unlock full analysis

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Sign up free to unlock full analysis

Deep Analysis of This Practice Of Real Estate Question

Sign up free to unlock full analysis

Background Knowledge for Practice Of Real Estate

Sign up free to unlock full analysis
Sign up free to unlock full analysis

Real World Application in Practice Of Real Estate

Sign up free to unlock full analysis

Common Mistakes to Avoid on Practice Of Real Estate Questions

Sign up free to unlock full analysis

Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

fair_housingarrest_recorddisparate_impactprotected_classesHUD_guidancemississippi_fair_housing_act

Related Concepts

A trust account, also called an escrow account, is a separate bank account maintained by a broker to hold funds belonging to others, such as earnest money deposits, security deposits, or other client funds.

Advertising regulations govern how real estate licensees may market properties and services, requiring truthful, non-deceptive advertising that includes proper identification of the brokerage.

Antitrust violations in real estate occur when competing brokerages or agents engage in practices that restrain trade, reduce competition, or harm consumers through collusion. These violations are governed by the Sherman Antitrust Act and can result in severe penalties.

Was this explanation helpful?

More Practice Of Real Estate Questions

People Also Study

Related Articles

Practice More Questions

Access 2,000+ practice questions and pass your real estate exam.

Start Practicing