How to Handle Fair Housing Complaints: A Step-by-Step Guide for REALTORS®

Louisiana REALTORS® • April 10, 2025

Fair housing laws are a critical component of the real estate industry, ensuring that everyone has equal access to housing opportunities. As a Louisiana REALTOR®, understanding how to handle fair housing complaints properly is essential to protecting your reputation, maintaining compliance, and serving your clients fairly.


This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process of handling fair housing complaints so you can navigate these situations professionally and in accordance with the law.


Understanding Fair Housing Laws in Louisiana

The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, and familial status. In Louisiana, state laws also reinforce these protections, and additional local ordinances may apply in certain municipalities.


Failing to comply with fair housing regulations can result in serious legal and financial consequences, making it imperative for REALTORS® to understand their responsibilities.


6-Step Approach for Handling and Preventing Fair Housing Complaints

Step 1: Stay Calm and Professional When a Complaint is Filed

Receiving a fair housing complaint can be stressful, but it’s important to remain calm and approach the situation professionally. Complaints can be filed by potential buyers, renters, or third-party organizations, and they don’t always mean that a violation has occurred.

  • Listen carefully to the complaint without making immediate judgments.
  • Reassure the complainant that their concerns are taken seriously.
  • Avoid making any statements that could be interpreted as dismissive or defensive.


Step 2: Review the Fair Housing Complaint and Gather Relevant Documentation

Once you receive a fair housing complaint, review the details carefully. This may come from a client, a local fair housing agency, or the Louisiana Real Estate Commission (LREC).


Key documents to gather include:

  • Correspondence (emails, text messages, phone logs)
  • Advertising materials related to the property in question
  • Transaction records, applications, or screening criteria used
  • Any notes or logs related to interactions with the complainant


Having clear documentation can help you determine whether there is merit to the claim and how to respond appropriately.


Step 3: Consult Your Broker and Legal Counsel

If you receive a formal complaint, notify your broker immediately. Brokers often have experience dealing with fair housing issues and can provide valuable guidance.


Additionally, seeking advice from a real estate attorney who specializes in fair housing laws can help ensure that you follow the correct legal procedures. Never attempt to resolve a fair housing complaint without consulting the appropriate professionals.


Step 4: Respond to the Complaint in a Timely Manner

Most fair housing complaints are filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a local fair housing office, or the Louisiana Human Rights Commission. Each agency has specific deadlines for responding to a complaint.

  • If the complaint is from HUD, you will typically have 10 days to respond.
  • If it’s filed through a local agency, check with them to confirm the response deadline.


Your response should be factual, professional, and supported by documentation. Avoid emotional language or defensive tones in your written response.


Step 5: Cooperate with Investigations and Mediation

If the complaint progresses, an investigation may take place. This can involve:

  • Interviews with involved parties
  • Review of transaction records
  • Requests for additional documentation


In some cases, mediation may be offered as an alternative to legal proceedings. Mediation can be a beneficial way to resolve disputes without litigation, especially if the issue resulted from a misunderstanding or miscommunication.


Step 6: Implement Fair Housing Best Practices to Prevent Future Complaints

To minimize the risk of fair housing complaints in the future, REALTORS® should take proactive steps, including:

  • Regular Fair Housing Training – Stay up to date with fair housing regulations by attending Louisiana REALTORS® and LREC training sessions.
  • Consistent Screening and Marketing Practices – Ensure that all applicants and clients are treated equally, using objective criteria.
  • Clear and Inclusive Communication – Avoid language in advertisements or discussions that could be perceived as discriminatory.
  • Documentation of All Transactions – Keeping thorough records helps protect you if a complaint arises.


Fair housing complaints can be a serious matter, but handling them professionally and in accordance with legal requirements will protect both your reputation and your business. By understanding fair housing laws, responding appropriately, and implementing best practices, you can ensure compliance and foster a fair and inclusive housing market.

REALTOR® RESOURCES

Consumer Guide Update: 10 Tips for Unpacking

By Louisiana REALTORS® • June 18, 2026
NAR’s latest consumer guide, “10 Tips for Unpacking Smartly After a Move,” was developed to help ease the burden buyers may feel when surrounded by boxes. For your clients on the cusp of a move, the guide suggests establishing a priority unpacking order, wiping down each room before unpacking, discarding boxes quickly, having garbage and donation bags at the ready, and more. Share the new guide along with the companion guide “10 Tips for Packing Smartly for a Move.” As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow up to two weeks for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: 10 Tips For Unpacking Smartly After A Move UPDATED : Multiple Listing Services Overcoming Roadblocks to a Sale or Purchase How Solar Impacts a Real Estate Transaction Navigating Interest Rate Shifts Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Check out the next consumer guide on identifying homebuying wants vs. needs.
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Louisiana Residents Encouraged to Use New LDI Tools to Prepare for Hurricane Season

By Louisiana REALTORS® • June 9, 2026
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: During a press conference today with Governor Jeff Landry, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple announced that registration for the next round of the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP) will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1, and will include 3,000 grants. The registration period for this lottery will be open for three weeks, closing at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.  During the press conference, Gov. Landry signed HB 1187 by Rep. Paul Sawyer, which will allow Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to transfer $50 million in additional Katrina bond assessment funds to the LFHP. Combined with the $30 million in funding the program will receive through taxes and fees on insurance entities, the LFHP will receive a total of $80 million this year. “By lowering overall losses, we can reduce insurance and reinsurance costs, draw more insurers into the market, motivate existing companies to write additional policies and lower insurance premiums,” said Commissioner Temple. “That is exactly what the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program is designed to do.” The list of coastal parishes that are eligible to participate is expanding to include Acadia, Jefferson Davis and Lafayette parishes. Additionally, homeowners who live in the portions of Ascension, Calcasieu, Iberia, Livingston, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Vermilion parishes that were previously not included in the program will now be eligible to participate. A map showing the full list of eligible parishes is available on FortifyHomes.La.Gov . “Louisiana is the fastest growing state in the country for Fortified roofs, and that growth is not by accident—it is the result of strong support from Governor Landry and legislators like Chairman Talbot, Chairman Firment and Representative Sawyer, targeted program design, and a clear recognition that strengthening homes is one of the most effective ways to reduce insurance losses,” said Commissioner Temple. “At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs. It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.” To participate in the lottery, homeowners must register during the June registration period. Homeowners who registered for a previous round but were not selected must register again to participate. People who register on the last day of the registration period have the same chance of being selected as those who register on the first day, so there is no need to rush to register as soon as the period opens. When registering, homeowners will need to upload their homestead exemption, insurance policy declarations page that includes wind coverage, and flood insurance declarations page if the residence is in a flood zone. Homeowners who need assistance obtaining a copy of their homestead exemption should contact their parish tax assessor. Homeowners can contact their homeowners and flood insurance companies or agents for a copy of their policy declarations page. Homeowners are required to create a profile in the LFHP system before registering for the lottery and may do so by visiting the LFHP website and clicking the Login button. Homeowners who previously created a profile may use the same one for this and future rounds. Once the lottery registration period closes, the LFHP will randomly select 3,000 participants and send email notifications to registrants about whether they were selected to participate. These selection notices will be sent via email beginning on Monday, June 22. There are several program requirements that homeowners should be aware of before registering. Those interested in the program are encouraged to review eligibility information and frequently asked questions at FortifyHomes.La.Gov to determine whether their home meets the requirements for the program. If selected to participate in the grant program, homeowners will be financially responsible for having the home evaluated by a FORTIFIED-certified Evaluator as well as costs for the roof upgrade including permits, inspections and construction costs beyond the amount of the grant The LFHP provides grants of up to $10,000 for homeowners to upgrade their roofs to standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. The program helps Louisiana homeowners strengthen their roofs to better withstand hurricane-force winds.
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