Vegas RE Firm Settles Dispute Over Supervision of Children Playing Outside

HUD recently approved a settlement between a resident and the owner and manager of a Las Vegas community to resolve allegations of discrimination against families with children by allegedly denying unsupervised children's access to the property's common areas.

The case came to HUD's attention when a mother living at the community filed a complaint alleging that the property manager made her son and other children leave a recreational area of the complex after observing the children playing without their parents observing. The woman's complaint also alleged that the community maintained an unwritten policy that children couldn’t use common spaces without adult supervision. The owner and manager denied that they discriminated against the woman but agreed to settle the complaint.

Under the agreement, the community agreed to pay $5,000 to the mother and to allow her to terminate her lease without penalty if she chose to do so. The community also agreed to provide fair housing training for its employees and circulate a letter to residents stating that children do not need to be supervised in order to use the development's common areas.

"Individuals renting units at apartment complexes have a right to use any amenities that are available, and this applies to families who have children," Anna María Farías, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, said in a statement.