1. Federal and Michigan Protections
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. Michigan protections are broader.
Current MSHDA fair-housing guidance identifies the following characteristics protected under Michigan and/or federal law:
- Age
- Color
- Disability
- Familial status
- Gender identity or expression
- Height and weight
- Marital status
- National origin
- Race
- Religion
- Sex
- Sexual orientation
- Source of income in rental housing
Source-of-income protection has statutory scope and exceptions, including provisions affecting certain landlords with fewer rental units. Users should review the current law and obtain advice about their own facts rather than relying on this summary.
2. Prohibited Use of the Platform
Property owners, landlords, managers, real-estate professionals, buyers, and other users may not use Lansing Rent to Own to:
- State an unlawful preference or limitation
- Unlawfully refuse housing or impose discriminatory terms
- Discriminate unlawfully in an application or screening process
- Steer a person toward or away from housing
- Publish discriminatory advertising
- Request filtering based on protected characteristics
- Use coded language intended to discriminate
- Retaliate against a person for exercising fair-housing rights
- Otherwise violate applicable civil-rights or fair-housing law
Examples of impermissible requests can include “no children,” “Christians only,” “young professionals preferred,” or comparable preferences tied to protected characteristics, unless a specific lawful exception has been reviewed by qualified counsel.
3. Property Advertising, Screening, and Digital Marketing
Housing advertisements must not express an unlawful preference, limitation, or discrimination. Property providers remain responsible for lawful descriptions, application criteria, screening, and decisions. Lansing Rent to Own must also avoid participating in discriminatory conduct.
Digital advertising for housing should not be designed to unlawfully exclude people based on protected characteristics or use proxy targeting to reach substantially the same discriminatory result. Campaign settings must follow then-current law and platform policies. Website forms and analytics must not be used to create audiences based on inferred hardship, poor credit, debt, or inability to obtain a mortgage.
4. Platform Review and Enforcement
When Lansing Rent to Own reasonably believes a submission or platform use may violate law or policy, it may refuse a submission, remove or modify content where appropriate, suspend access, terminate use, preserve relevant records, or report conduct where legally appropriate.
These rules do not guarantee third-party compliance or immunize the platform from responsibility for its own conduct. A user remains responsible for lawful advertising, screening, housing terms, and decisions.
5. Questions and Fair Housing Assistance
To report a concern involving this platform, email hello@lansingrenttoown.com.
If you believe your housing rights were violated, official resources include: