COACH’s Pop Quiz!

Q: A community may require all applicants who have animals to pay any extra fees or an additional security deposit to cover any potential property damage the animal may cause. True or false?

A: False. Communities may not require an applicant with a disability to pay a fee or a security deposit so that he may keep an assistance animal. Fair housing law prohibits communities from assessing additional fees or deposits as a condition of granting a request for a reasonable accommodation, according to federal guidelines. Nevertheless, the guidelines would permit the community to charge him for the cost of repairing any damage caused by the animal, if its standard policy is to assess residents for any damage they cause to the premises.

In honor of Fair Housing Month, the April 2013 issue of Fair Housing Coach gives you a chance to test your knowledge of fair housing law, with an entire issue devoted to questions like this one—with answers and detailed explanations. You can give the quiz to your staff, and based on their answers, you’ll be able to identify any potential problem areas that might merit some further attention or training. You’ll find the April “Big Quiz” on our homepage and in our Archive.

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