Appendix Appendix B: Fair Housing Phrase Review List
From AI for Real Estate Agents (2026 Edition). Facts in, draft out, licensee signs.

This appendix is general information, not legal advice. It is a review aid for your own scrub pass, not a list of safe words or banned words. When a phrase matters, ask your broker or a lawyer.

HOW TO USE THIS LIST

The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to make, print, or publish any notice, statement, or advertisement about the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates a preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability (the statute says handicap), familial status, or national origin.  The HUD regulation that applies the Act to advertising says the same thing and adds that the rule covers written and oral statements, and that words, phrases, photographs, illustrations, symbols, or forms can all convey that a dwelling is or is not available to a particular group.  California adds protected characteristics of its own; the state list in this appendix follows the California Civil Rights Department's housing page.

Two things follow for how you read the tables below.

First, the law asks what the ad as a whole "indicates," which is the statute's word, not whether it uses a word from a list.  A description with none of these phrases can still steer, and a phrase on this list can sometimes be harmless in context. The list is here to train your eye. It does not replace the scrub pass (P-04.1), and the scrub pass does not replace your own reading.

Second, every rewrite in this appendix is an example, not a replacement. A rewrite is only usable if it is true of the property in front of you. "Cul-de-sac lot" is a rewrite for "safe neighborhood" only when the house is on a cul-de-sac. When no true replacement exists, the rewrite says "cut," and cutting is always allowed.

The rule behind every row is the one from Chapter 4.1: describe the property and the facts, never the person who should want it or the people who already live nearby. Steering language has three shapes. It describes the buyer ("perfect for"). It describes the neighbors ("established," "family-oriented"). Or it points at a protected characteristic sideways (a church, a school, a language, the word "safe"). The twelve rows from Figure 4.2 appear below in their groups, each with its reason, alongside about fifty more.

The rows are not all the same kind of risk. A row that states a preference or exclusion outright ("no kids," "Christian community," "no Section 8," "not suitable for wheelchairs") is the kind of statement the advertising rules prohibit. Most other rows are flags, not violations: phrases that are lawful on their face but vague, unverifiable, or easy to read as a signal, which is why fair housing trainers and many MLSs tell agents to avoid them. HUD's 1995 advertising guidance to its own staff, for example, said phrases such as "master bedroom," "desirable neighborhood," "mother-in-law suite," "family room," "quiet streets," "walk-in closets," and "walk to bus-stop" are not violations on their face.  Cutting a flag costs you nothing. Just do not mistake a flag for a ban, or a missing phrase for permission. California's own advertising rule, Government Code section 12955(c), applies the same test to every characteristic on the state's FEHA list.

FEDERAL PROTECTED CLASSES

Race and color

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Exclusive neighborhood" | Describes who is kept out; an ordinary reader can take it as a signal about race or class. | "Gated entry, HOA-maintained grounds"
"Desirable area" or "the right side of town" | "Desirable" alone is not a violation on its face (HUD's 1995 guidance names "desirable neighborhood" as neutral), but it says nothing about the property. "The right side of town" ranks neighborhoods by who lives there and reads as a signal. | Cut. Name a fact: lot size, year built, distance to a named street.
"Diverse community" or "integrated neighborhood" | Describes the neighbors by race even when meant kindly. The ad should not describe the neighbors at all. | Cut. Never describe the neighbors.
"Established neighborhood" | Reads as "the people here have been here a long time," which is a statement about the residents, not the house. | "Homes on this block date from the 1950s per assessor records"
"Traditional neighborhood" | Vague on its face and often read as a coded preference about who belongs. | "Sidewalks, street trees, detached garages"
"Up-and-coming" or "transitional area" | Implies the current residents are the problem and a different group is the solution. | Cut. Describe the property.

Religion

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Walking distance to St. Mark's" | Names a church. A reader can take it as a signal about religion whether or not you meant one. | Cut. Describe the property, not the institution.
"Near the temple" or "near the mosque" or "near the synagogue" | Same problem. Naming a house of worship points at religion sideways. | Cut. If distance matters, name a street or a park.
"Christian community" or "faith-based neighborhood" | Describes the neighbors by religion. | Cut. Never describe the neighbors.
"Great for holiday gatherings" with a named holiday | Ties the house to a religious observance and the buyer to a religion. | "Formal dining room seats ten; open kitchen with an island"
"Kosher kitchen" or "halal kitchen" | A flag, not a ban: HUD's 1995 guidance treated describing a facility or service (its example was "kosher meals available") as not stating a religious preference. The layout is still the clearer description, and it does not label the buyer you expect. | "Two sinks, two dishwashers, and a second prep area in the kitchen"

Sex

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Ideal bachelor pad" | Names the buyer's sex and marital status in one phrase. | "One-bedroom unit with in-unit laundry"
"Perfect for a professional woman" or "safe for a single woman" | Names the buyer's sex and implies something about who else lives nearby. | Cut. Describe the unit and the building's features.
"Man cave" or "she shed" | Common and borderline. The phrase labels the room by the sex of the person you picture in it. | "Finished garage with a separate entry" or "Detached 120-square-foot studio with power, per permit"
"Master bedroom" | Not a fair housing violation; HUD's 1995 guidance said so for both sex and race. Many MLSs and brokerages now prefer "primary bedroom" as a style choice. Use your MLS's term. | "Primary bedroom" (optional)
"Female tenants preferred" or "male roommate wanted" | A direct preference by sex. The shared-housing rules are narrow and vary; do not write this in an ad. | Cut. Ask your broker before advertising any shared unit.

National origin

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"English-speaking neighborhood" | Describes the neighbors by language, which reads as national origin. | Cut. Never describe the neighbors.
"Popular with [nationality] buyers" | States a preference by national origin, even if it started as a sales observation. | Cut.
"Heart of Little [country or region]" | Describes the area by the national origin of the people in it. | "Half a mile to the [street name] shopping corridor"
"No immigrants" or "immigrants welcome" | Both single out a group. A welcome is still a statement about who the ad is for. In California, immigration status and citizenship are protected on their own. | Cut.

Familial status

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Perfect for young families" | Expresses a preference about who should buy. Familial status is protected, and "young" adds age in California. | "Three bedrooms, fenced backyard, laundry room"
"Great for empty nesters" | Describes the buyer by whether children live at home. | "Single-level floor plan, no interior steps"
"Family-oriented street" | Describes the neighbors by family type. | Cut. Never describe the neighbors.
"Family-friendly" or "family-friendly neighborhood" | States who the home or area is for (households with children) and describes the neighbors. "Family room," by contrast, names a room; HUD's 1995 guidance treated it as neutral. | Cut. Describe the feature: "Fenced yard; park at the end of the block per city map"
"Mature, adults-only feel" | Excludes households with children, and names age. | Cut. Age and familial status are protected.
"Not suitable for children" or "no kids" | A direct limitation by familial status. If a feature is a hazard, describe the feature. | "Open stairwell; unfenced pool"
"Kids will love the backyard" | Describes the buyer's household. | "Fenced backyard with a lawn; play structure stays"
"Perfect nursery" | Labels a room by the household you expect. | "Fourth bedroom, 10 by 11, next to the primary bedroom"
"Room to grow your family" | Describes the buyer's plans, not the house. | "Four bedrooms plus a bonus room"
"Quiet building, no children" | Describes the neighbors by family status and states an exclusion. | Cut.
"In-law suite" or "mother-in-law unit" | Common, and generally treated as a description of the space rather than a preference (HUD's 1995 guidance says "mother-in-law suite" does not violate the Act). It still names the relative you expect to live there, and the layout tells the buyer more. | "Attached suite with a separate entry, kitchenette, and full bath"

Disability

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Not suitable for wheelchairs" | A limitation by disability. The buyer decides what suits them; you describe the entry. | "Two steps at the entry; bedrooms upstairs"
"Must be able to climb stairs" | Same problem stated as a requirement. | "Third-floor unit, no elevator"
"Able-bodied tenants only" | A direct exclusion by disability. | Cut.
"Great for someone who can handle the stairs" | Describes the buyer's physical condition. | "Three-story townhome; bedrooms on the third floor"
"Walking distance to," "walk to the beach," "jogging trails" | Not a problem on its face. HUD's 1995 guidance said descriptions such as "walk to bus-stop," "jogging trails," and "fourth-floor walk-up" do not violate the Act. Keep it if it is true; a measured distance is still better. | "0.3 miles to the beach access at [street name]"
"Independent living only" or "must live independently" | Excludes people who use support. | Cut.
"No pets, no exceptions" | "No pets" is a property rule. "No exceptions" reads as refusing in advance a reasonable accommodation, such as an assistance animal, that the law can require (24 CFR 100.204). HUD withdrew its 2020 assistance-animal guidance in 2025; the regulation did not change. Ask your broker how to handle assistance-animal questions before you answer one. | "No pets"
"Handicap accessible" as a bare label | Not a steering phrase, but a vague one. The statute's word is handicap; buyers want the features, and a wrong label is a claim beyond the facts. | "Zero-step entry, 36-inch doorways, roll-in shower in the hall bath"

CALIFORNIA PROTECTED CHARACTERISTICS BEYOND THE FEDERAL SEVEN

California's housing list adds ancestry, citizenship, immigration status, primary language, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, marital status, source of income (including government rental assistance), military or veteran status, and age, and it covers the perception that someone has one of these characteristics or is associated with someone who does.  Most of these come from the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Government Code 12955). Citizenship, immigration status, and primary language come from the Unruh Civil Rights Act (Civil Code 51), which also lists medical condition, and age in housing comes from Civil Code 51.2.  Your own state's list may be longer or shorter; Appendix G has a line for it.

Ancestry

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Historic [ethnic group] neighborhood" | Describes the area by the ancestry of its residents. | Cut. If the district has a registered historic designation, cite the designation.
"Long-time families on this block" | Describes the neighbors by how long their families have lived there, which reads as ancestry and familial status together. | Cut. Never describe the neighbors.

Citizenship and immigration status

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Citizens only" | A direct exclusion by citizenship. | Cut.
"Must show a green card" or "no ITIN buyers" | Sets a condition by immigration status in the ad itself. For a rental, California goes further: a landlord or the landlord's agent may not ask about a tenant's or applicant's immigration or citizenship status at all (Civil Code 1940.3), so the question does not move to the application either. | Cut.

Primary language

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Spanish-speaking buyers wanted" or any "[language]-speaking buyers" | A preference by language. Saying which languages you speak is a statement about your service; saying which language the buyer should speak is a statement about the buyer. | "Agent speaks Spanish" (a fact about you, not a preference about them)
"English only" | An exclusion by language. | Cut.

Sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Straight couples only" or "traditional couples" | A direct limitation by sexual orientation. | Cut.
"LGBTQ-friendly building" | Names a group even to welcome it. The ad should not single out any group as the audience. | Cut.
"Perfect for a traditional family" | Reads as a preference about family structure and, to many readers, about orientation and religion. | "Four bedrooms, two living areas"

Genetic information

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
Any mention of a buyer's or neighbor's health history or heredity | Rarely appears in a listing. It is here because it is on the state list, and because an AI asked to write a "lifestyle" paragraph can wander into health. | Cut.

Marital status

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Perfect for newlyweds" | Describes the buyer by marital status. | "Two-bedroom with a dedicated office"
"Ideal for a couple" or "singles welcome" | Preference by marital status, in either direction. | "One-bedroom, 650 square feet per public record"
"Divorce sale" | It describes the seller, not a preference about buyers, so it is mainly a confidentiality problem: it discloses the seller's personal situation and hands the buyer's side a negotiating fact (Chapter 5.6). | Cut.

Source of income

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"No Section 8" | Source of income, including government rental assistance, is protected in California. | Cut.
"No vouchers" or "no housing assistance" | Same exclusion in different words. | Cut.
"Employed tenants only" or "must have a job" | Screens by the kind of income rather than the amount. In California, source of income means lawful, verifiable income, including public assistance and housing subsidies, so a job requirement can exclude a protected group. Income criteria are set by the owner within state law and belong in the written screening criteria, not the ad; ask your broker. | Cut. Describe the application process, not the applicant.

Military or veteran status

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"No VA loans" | Reads to a veteran as an exclusion of veterans. Financing terms are a conversation with the seller about each offer, not a statement in public remarks. Ask your broker. | Cut from public remarks.
"Military families welcome" | Names a group as the audience, and adds familial status. | Cut.

Age

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Retiree's paradise" or "perfect for retirees" | Describes the buyer by age. | "Single level; HOA covers exterior maintenance"
"Young professionals" or "perfect for first-time buyers in their twenties" | Names an age group. "First-time buyer" alone is about transaction history; "young" is about age. | "Priced in the entry band for the zip code, per the attached comps"
"Senior-friendly" | Describes the buyer by age. The features are what the buyer wants to know. | "Step-free entry, grab bars in both baths, lever door handles"
"55+ community" | Allowed only when the community actually qualifies as housing for older persons. Federal law has its own test,  and California adds its own (Civil Code 51.2 and 51.3; a 55-and-over development, for example, must have at least 35 units).  Confirm with the HOA's documents before you print it. | Keep only if verified; otherwise cut.

PHRASES THAT POINT SIDEWAYS AT MORE THAN ONE CLASS

These are the phrases the scrub misses most often, because none of them names a person. Each one tells the reader something about who lives nearby.

Phrase to flag | Why it is a problem | Rewrite (only if true)
"Safe, quiet neighborhood" | "Safe" invites the reader to guess who makes it safe, and the guess is usually about race or class. | "Cul-de-sac lot, no through traffic"
"Low crime area" | Same problem with a number-shaped word. You also cannot verify it from the property. | Cut.
"Walk to the elementary school" | A flag, not a violation on its face. It signals who the house is for (households with children), and attendance boundaries change, so it can turn into a misrepresentation. Buyers can look up boundaries. If your MLS has a school field, use the field. | Cut from the prose.
"Top-rated schools" | A rating you did not verify, which is a misrepresentation risk, and a phrase commonly read as a signal about who lives in the neighborhood. | Cut from the prose.
"Walkable to services and places of worship" | "Places of worship" points at religion; "services" is often a stand-in for a particular community. | "0.4 miles to the shops on [street name]"
"Great neighbors" or "friendly block" | Describes the neighbors. You do not know them, and the buyer will meet them. | Cut.
"Active neighborhood watch" | Reads as "we watch for people who do not belong." | Cut.

PHOTOS AND IMAGES

The advertising regulation names photographs, illustrations, and symbols alongside words as ways an ad can convey that a dwelling is or is not available to a particular group.  Three habits keep images out of trouble.

No people in listing images. Staging photos, lifestyle shots, and virtual renderings should show the property empty of people. A photo of a particular kind of household in the living room tells the reader who the house is for, in a way no caption can take back. If a person in the photo is unavoidable (a brokerage brand photo, for example), it is a question for your broker, not a decision to make at the listing level.

Virtual staging that implies a household. The AI staging tool will furnish the fourth bedroom as a nursery, put a crib in the rendering, hang religious art on a wall, set a dining table for a specific holiday, or remove a grab bar that was in the original photo. Each of those is a statement about who should live there, made in furniture. Stage with neutral furnishings. Keep accessibility features that exist in the original. Then run the altered-image rules from Chapter 4.2 and 4.3: label it, keep the original, and post the original beside it or link to it (T-04.2).

Hashtags and image text. A hashtag is a word, and it goes through the same scrub as the paragraph. #familyhome, #youngfamilies, #retirementliving, and #christianhome are flags. #torrancehome, #singlestory, and #adu are facts.

EMOJI AND ABBREVIATIONS

Emoji are symbols, and the regulation's list of what can convey a preference includes symbols.  Treat a family emoji, a baby emoji, a praying-hands emoji, a house-of-worship emoji, a graduation-cap emoji standing in for "good schools," or a flag emoji the same way you would treat the words they replace. Most of the time the right move is to cut them; a social caption does not need them.

Abbreviations hide steering from a scrub that reads whole words. "No sec 8," "M/F," "SWF," "prof. only," "55+," "adults pref.," and "no kids" each carry a phrase from the tables above in shorthand. Expand every abbreviation in your head before you decide it is harmless, and tell the scrub prompt to do the same.

WHEN IN DOUBT

Ask one question of any phrase, image, or symbol that survives the scrub: does it describe the property, or does it describe a person? If it describes a person, who should buy, who lives nearby, or who is not wanted, it goes. If you are still unsure, it is a question for your broker, and a question for your broker is cheaper than a complaint.

Sources for every rule cited here are listed in Appendix F of the book.
