What is Familial Status

Familial status - Familial status refers to the presence of one or more children under the age of 18 who live with either a parent or guardian.

Familial status also includes a woman who is pregnant. In effect, it means that the Fair Housing Act's protections extend to families with minor children.

Unless a property qualifies as housing for older persons, all properties must be made available to families with children under the same terms and conditions as to anyone else.

It is illegal to advertise properties as being for adults only or to indicate a preference for a certain number of children. The number of persons permitted to reside in a property must be based on objective factors such as sanitation or safety.

Landlords cannot restrict the number of occupants to eliminate families with children.