DC Housing Discrimination Lawyer

Housing discrimination occurs when a landlord, property manager, seller, lender, or other person or entity with control over access to housing treats someone differently because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability — the characteristics protected under the federal Fair Housing Act. The DC Human Rights Act also prohibits housing discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, marital status, personal appearance, and several other categories not covered by federal law.

Housing discrimination can take many forms, including:

• Refusing to rent or sell to someone, or making housing unavailable
• Offering different terms, conditions, or privileges, such as higher rent, a larger deposit, or stricter lease terms
• Steering prospective tenants or buyers toward or away from certain buildings or neighborhoods
• Discriminatory advertising, including statements of preference or limitation based on a protected characteristic
• Refusing to make a reasonable accommodation for a tenant’s disability, such as allowing a service animal or modifying a unit
• Falsely denying that housing is available.
• Harassment based on a protected characteristic, including sexual harassment

Roshni Shikari represents individuals with all types of housing discrimination claims. Before entering private practice, she worked in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, in the section that enforces the Fair Housing Act. This experience gives her direct insight into how these claims are investigated and evaluated from the enforcement side.

Sexual Harassment in Housing

Sexual harassment isn’t limited to the workplace; it’s also a recognized form of sex discrimination under the Fair Housing Act when it comes from a landlord, property manager, maintenance worker, or anyone else with authority over your housing. It can include:

• Quid pro quo harassment — a landlord or property manager conditioning repairs, lease renewal, rent reductions, or other housing benefits on sexual favors
• Hostile environment harassment — unwanted sexual advances, comments, or conduct from a landlord or staff member that is severe or pervasive enough to interfere with your ability to live in and enjoy your home

Because a tenant often has far less leverage than a landlord, and because housing is not something most people can walk away from the way they might leave a job, this type of harassment can be especially difficult to report or escape. If a housing provider has made your home unsafe or your tenancy conditional on unwanted sexual conduct, you may have a claim regardless of whether you’ve reported it elsewhere first.

What to Know Before You File a Claim

• Document everything. Keep copies of communications with your landlord or property manager, maintenance requests, lease terms offered to you versus those offered to others, rent payment receipts, and notes on any incidents, including dates and witnesses, if any.
• Know your filing options. A Fair Housing Act complaint can be filed with HUD, or individuals can choose to go directly to federal court. DC residents can also file with the DC Office of Human Rights, which enforces the broader DC Human Rights Act, or file in the DC Superior Court.
• Consult an attorney soon after experiencing discrimination. Depending on your situation, you may have options beyond simply relocating, including staying in your home while pursuing a claim.

Why Work With a DC Housing Discrimination Attorney

Housing discrimination claims often hinge on comparing how you were treated to how other tenants or applicants were treated. It is evidence that can be difficult to track down. Roshni’s experience litigating Fair Housing Act claims means she knows what evidence to look for and how to build a case, and she moves quickly to preserve that evidence and identify every claim available under both federal and state or local law.

Contact The Shikari Law Firm for a Free Consultation

If you believe you’ve been discriminated against or harassed in connection with your housing, reach out to The Shikari Law Firm for a free consultation.