AUTOMATION STILL NEEDS OVERSIGHT Automated late fees can make rent collection more efficient and consistent, and housing providers should not have to give up those benefits. But automation works best when it supports good decision-making instead of replacing it. Reasonable accommodations require context, judgment, and follow-through. Once an exception is approved, the process is not complete until the systems enforcing the rent policy reflect that decision. Clear procedures, trained staff, accurate account updates, and a human checkpoint can help
prevent a routine automated fee from becoming a larger fair housing concern. The goal is simple: let technology handle the routine, keep people involved when judgment is needed, and make sure an approved accommodation works in practice as well as it does on paper.
AUTOMATION WORKS BEST WHEN IT SUPPORTS GOOD DECISION-MAKING INSTEAD OF REPLACING IT.
LESLIE TUCKER, ESQ. Principal Partner Williams Edelstein, Tucker, P.C.
Leslie is the Principal Partner of Williams Edelstein, Tucker, P.C., a fair housing defense law firm, and serves as the Assistant Vice President at the Fair Housing Institute. With a career dedicated to defending housing providers across the country, Leslie offers over a decade of expertise in fair housing matters. Leslie represents her clients in administrative fair housing cases, assists with drafting and updating company policies, consults on day-to-day fair housing-related decisions, and provides live training sessions on fair housing laws, federal housing programs, and landlord-tenant issues. Additionally, she is an expert in physical accessibility standards for multifamily housing, encompassing both local building codes and federal requirements like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHAAG). Leslie has been actively involved in consulting and training with the Fair Housing Institute since 2021.
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