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Catch Fair Housing risk before you post

Paste your listing text and every risky phrase comes back flagged, with the reason it draws scrutiny and what to say instead. Free, and the text stays in your browser.

  • Built from HUD’s own lists
  • Explains, never just warns
  • Knows what’s safe, too
0 / 5,000 characters

Nothing is uploaded — the scan runs in your browser against HUD’s published advertising guidance.

Check your rental ad before HUD, a tester, or a tenant does

The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal for a rental ad to suggest a preference based on race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, or disability — and no bad intent is required. “Adults only” or “perfect for professionals” is enough. Paste your listing and every risky phrase comes back flagged, with the reason.

  1. 01Paste your ad text

    Exactly what you plan to post. Nothing is uploaded — the scan runs in your browser.

  2. 02Checked against HUD guidance

    Matched against phrase lists from HUD’s published advertising guidance, tiered by risk.

  3. 03See why each phrase is risky

    Each flag names the protected class, explains the risk, and cites its source.

  4. 04Get safer wording

    Describe the property, not the person — each flag suggests phrasing HUD accepts.

Why screen your listing

Fair-housing testers and enforcement agencies read rental ads every day.

The standard is strict

Ads are judged by what an “ordinary reader” infers. Intent is not part of the test.

Exemptions don’t cover ads

Renting a room in your own home may exempt you from parts of the Act — never from the advertising rule.

All seven protected classes

Race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability.

Learn the safe alternative

“Cozy one-bedroom near transit” instead of “perfect for a single professional.”

Exceptions called out

HOPA senior housing, roommate ads, and assistance animals are flagged as the special cases they are.

Cited, not guessed

Every flag points back to the HUD guidance it came from, so you can check it.

I'd been a landlord for 12 years and used to pay $200 every time I needed a lease reviewed. LawLease took me 4 minutes and the document is better than anything my old attorney emailed me.

Robert M.

3 single-family rentals, Austin, TX

When to run it

Run it any time words go out to the public.

Before every posting

A 30-second check before the ad goes up anywhere.

Room and roommate ads

Shared living has its own rules. The screener explains where the line falls.

Reviewing old listings

Recycled copy collects risky phrases. Clean the template once.

Frequently asked questions

No. LawLease is not a law firm. The screener checks your text against HUD’s published advertising guidance and explains each match with its source. HUD itself notes its word lists are not exhaustive and every word must be considered in context — for close calls, ask a fair-housing attorney.
From HUD’s published materials: the January 1995 HUD guidance memo on §804(c) advertising, the former 24 CFR Part 109 advertising guidelines and their word lists, press-association fair-housing word lists derived from them, and HUD’s 2021 guidance applying Bostock (sexual orientation and gender identity as sex discrimination). Each flag shows its source.
Yes — a no-pets policy is lawful to advertise. But under the Fair Housing Act, assistance animals are not pets: you cannot refuse a service or emotional-support animal as a reasonable accommodation, and an ad saying "no service animals" or "no ESAs" is flagged as high risk.
Age-restricted advertising is lawful only for housing that actually qualifies as "housing for older persons" under HOPA — 62+ exclusively, or 55+ with at least 80% of occupied units housing someone 55 or older plus published policies and age verification. The screener flags these phrases as caution so you can confirm your property qualifies.
No. The advertising prohibition in §804(c) applies to the ad even where the underlying property is exempt (like an owner-occupied building with four or fewer units). An exempt landlord may make private choices the Act doesn’t reach, but may not publish a discriminatory ad.
It means no phrase matched HUD’s published risk lists. Ads can still raise issues through photos, human models, symbols, or where the ad is placed — and state and local laws add protected classes (like age, marital status, and source of income) this federal screener doesn’t cover.

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