No 'adults only' buildings, no steering families to ground floors
Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
Qualified 'housing for older persons' communities may lawfully:
Answer: A. Senior-housing communities meeting the legal criteria are exempt from the familial-status rule and may limit residency by age — but never by other protected classes.
Question 2 of 5
Which housing may lawfully be reserved exclusively for older persons and is therefore exempt from the familial status protection?
Answer: B. The Act exempts qualified 'housing for older persons' from familial status protection, allowing legitimate 55+ and 62+ communities that meet HUD requirements.
Question 3 of 5
An apartment community advertises that it qualifies as 'housing for older persons' and refuses to rent to families with children. For this exemption from familial status protection to apply, the community generally must meet the 55-and-older standard, which requires that at least:
Answer: B. Under the housing for older persons exemption, the 55-or-older community must have at least 80% of occupied units occupied by at least one person 55 or older, plus publish and follow policies demonstrating intent to be senior housing.
Question 4 of 5
Under the federal Fair Housing Act, refusing to rent to a family with children would generally be discrimination based on:
Answer: B. Familial status protects families with children under 18 (and pregnant persons); refusing to rent because a household includes children violates the Fair Housing Act.
Question 5 of 5
A 55+ community meeting HOPA requirements refuses to rent to a couple with a 10-year-old. This refusal is:
Answer: B. Qualified HOPA senior housing (62+ all residents, or 55+ with the 80% rule and published policies) is EXEMPT from familial-status protection — the one lawful 'no kids' housing.
Keep the streak going with more questions like these, each with a full rationale.
Must-know rules
- Protects families with kids under 18, pregnant women, those securing custody
- No 'adults only' buildings, no steering families to ground floors
- HOPA exemption: 62+ everyone, OR 55+ with 80% of units having a 55+ occupant
- Occupancy standards: reasonable limits OK (2/bedroom guideline), not kid bans
- 'Great for retirees' in a normal listing = familial-status red flag
Familial Status & Housing for Older Persons: FAQs
Is Familial Status & Housing for Older Persons on the real estate exam?
Yes. Fair Housing & Ethics is a scored domain on the real estate licensing exam, and this topic appears in the national portion.
Is this cheat sheet free?
Yes — every page on Cinna RE's resource library is free to read, print and share. The app adds practice questions, mock exams and a readiness score.
