Housing Discrimination
If you face any discrimination or harassment, our department is here to guide and support you through your next steps. You may also report any information about a landlord or property owner to our department so that we can prevent other USF students from renting from them to the best of our ability. If you would like to do so, please email our department email or someone in or staff, listed on the Off-Campus Living page. If you have experiences any housing discrimination and want guidance, please contact our department.
Roommate Discrimination:
If you experience any discrimination with your roommate who is a USF student, you would visit BERT.
"The University of San Francisco Bias Education and Resource Team (BERT) is a University-wide team that works to gather information about bias incidents and to support those individuals who have witnessed, or themselves become a target of, an act of bias."
Why Report:
"To allow the opportunity to provide affected individuals and communities a space to have their voices heard"
"To provide opportunities for education to mitigate or prevent similar occurrences in the future"
"To ensure a comprehensive and timely response to bias incidents"
What does BERT do?
"We assist students, staff, and faculty who report bias incidents involving students"
"We keep annual statistical records of bias incidents on campus"
"We promote conversation about diversity issues"
"We conduct investigations involving bias complaints"
Landlord Discrimination:
“The City of San Francisco has its own laws governing discrimination that add more categories of characteristics to the federal and state laws. Landlords cannot treat a tenant adversely or unequally based on that tenant’s actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, place of birth, sex, age, religion, creed, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, weight, or height. S.F., Cal., Police Code § 3304.”
“In addition, the San Francisco Rent Ordinance prohibits discrimination against a tenant based on actual or perceived race, gender, sexual preference, sexual orientation, ethnic background, nationality, place of birth, immigration or citizenship status, religion, age, parenthood, marriage, pregnancy, disability, AIDS or occupancy by a minor child. S.F. Cal., Rent Ordinance § 37.10B(a)(9).”
Information from Tobener Ravenscroft Law
For more information on landlord discrimination, Visit:
Rent Board: Section 37.10B Tenant Harassment
SF Tenants Union: Harassment by Landlord
Examples of Unlawful Discrimination:
• “Refusing to sell, rent, or lease”.
• “Refusing to negotiate for a sale, rental, or lease.”
• “Representing that housing is not available for inspection, sale, or rental when it is, in fact,
available.”
• “Otherwise denying or withholding housing accommodations.”
• “Providing inferior housing terms, conditions, privileges, facilities, or services.”
• “Harassing a person in connection with housing accommodations.”
• “Canceling or terminating a sale or rental agreement.”
• “Providing segregated or separated housing accommodations.”
• “Refusing to permit a person with a disability, at the person with a disability’s own expense,
to make reasonable modifications to a rental unit that are necessary to allow the person
with a disability ‘full enjoyment of the premises.’ As a condition of making the modifications,
the landlord may require the person with a disability to enter into an agreement to restore
the interior of the rental unit to its previous condition at the end of the tenancy (excluding
reasonable wear and tear).”
• “Refusing to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services when
necessary to allow a person with a disability ‘equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling’
(for example, refusing to allow a person with a disability’s companion or service dog).”
Info from California Tenents: A Guide to Residential Tenants and Landlords Rights and Responsibilities