CONCLUSION: CONSISTENCY IS KING Fair Housing compliance isn't a hurdle to your performance; it’s the floor you build it on. In the high- stakes world of property management, skepticism can be a natural defense mechanism, but it shouldn't be your policy. When you move away from the "investigator" role and embrace the "professional processor" role, you remove the friction that leads to costly legal disputes. By using a uniform verification process, asking the same safe questions of every resident, and keeping your communication focused on compliance rather than personal opinion, you create a property culture that is both welcoming and secure. You don't have to choose between protecting your assets and following the law. With clear policies in place, you can confidently navigate the nuances of assistance animals while keeping your standards high and your liability low.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PROTECTING YOUR ASSETS AND FOLLOWING THE LAW.
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 Present 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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