616-2765
WWW.USDOJ.GOV
TDD (202) 514-1888
IDAHO LANDLORD AGREES NOT TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST FAMILIES
WITH CHILDREN, UNDER AGREEMENT WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An Idaho landlord, who publicized ads with the words "no
children," has agreed to no longer discriminate against families with children, the Justice
Department announced.
The agreement, filed together with a civil complaint in U.S. District Court in Boise,
resolves allegations that Marvin A. Gardner, a landlord in Rexburg, Idaho, discriminated
against families with children in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
"Unless an apartment complex is designed for senior citizens, federal law bars
landlords from refusing to rent to families with children," said Bill Lann Lee, Acting Assistant
Attorney General for Civil Rights. "We hope today's agreement will help spread the word that
landlords may not ban children from their apartments."
Today's settlement stems from a complaint filed with the Department of Housing and
Urban Development by the Boise-based Idaho Fair Housing Council. The complaint alleged
that Gardner included the words "no children" in an advertisement for a vacant apartment, and
in similar statements he made to persons investigating the matter for the Council.
Under today's settlement, Gardner will comply with the Fair Housing Act, conduct his
advertising in a nondiscriminatory manner, and receive training in the requirements of the Fair
Housing Act.
"We are pleased with the cooperation of Mr. Gardner and the Fair Housing Council in
resolving this matter so quickly," said Betty H. Richardson, U.S. Attorney in Boise. "It is
important that both landlords and home seekers understand that the Fair Housing Act prohibits
discrimination against families with children."
The Fair Housing Act became law in 1968. In 1988, it was amended to prohibit
discrimination against families with children. To show that an apartment complex is designed
for senior citizens, a landlord must establish policies and procedures that indicate an intent to
operate the complex as housing for older persons and ensure that at least 80% of the units at
the complex are occupied by at least one person over 55 years.
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