Washington Fair Housing — Quick Reference

Core Concepts

Protected Classes

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Prohibited Conduct

• Refusing to sell, rent, or negotiate

• Making housing unavailable

• Different terms, conditions, or privileges

• Discriminatory advertising or statements

• Steering (directing clients based on protected class)

• Blockbusting (inducing panic sales)

• Redlining (denying services based on neighborhood demographics)

• Retaliation for filing a complaint

Disability: Accommodation vs. Modification

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ESA vs. Service Animal

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WSHRC (Washington Human Rights Commission)

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Federal FHA (7 classes)	Washington RCW 49.60 (additional)
Race	Marital status
Color	Sexual orientation
National origin	Gender identity/expression
Religion	Honorably discharged veteran/military status
Sex	Source of income (including Section 8/HCV)
Familial status	Creed
Disability
Reasonable Accommodation	Reasonable Modification
Definition	Change to rules/policies	Physical change to property
Example	Allow ESA despite no-pets policy	Install grab bars
Who pays	Housing provider	Tenant/buyer
Restoration required?	No	Possibly, at landlord's discretion
Service Animal (ADA)	ESA (FHA)
Training required?	Yes — specific task training	No
Where required?	Public accommodations	Housing only
Pet deposit allowed?	No	No
Documentation?	Only if not obvious	Can request from healthcare provider
Filing Deadline	Time Limit
WSHRC complaint	1 year from discriminatory act
Private superior court lawsuit	3 years from discriminatory act
Civil penalty (WSHRC)	Up to $10,000 per violation

Mrs. Murphy Exemption

• Owner-occupied building of 4 or fewer units

• Owner does NOT use a broker

• No discriminatory advertising

• NOT available to real estate licensees

Post-1991 Multifamily Design Requirements (FHA)

4+ unit buildings built after March 13, 1991 must have:

• Accessible building entrance

• Wide doors (wheelchair accessible)

• Accessible public areas

• Reinforced bathroom walls for grab bars

• Accessible outlets and switches

Common Exam Traps

• Source of income = WA only — federal FHA does NOT protect Section 8 voucher holders; WA does

• Veteran/military status = WA only — not in the federal seven

• ESAs are NOT service animals — no training required; FHA (not ADA) is the governing law; no pet deposit ever

• Mrs. Murphy exemption disappears the moment a broker is involved

• WSHRC deadline = 1 year (not 180 days like HUD); private lawsuit = 3 years

• Steering ≠ helpful — even directing a buyer toward a neighborhood they "would fit in" based on protected class is illegal

• Disability definition: Past drug addiction may qualify; CURRENT illegal drug use does NOT