Can a landlord say 'no kids' in an ad?

[midnight armadillo]

An apartment for rent near me (in MA) says 'no kids' in the ad. Is this legal? Just curious.

[JVS]

1. I remember an apt. company that had a no undergraduates policy.

[Jokerman]

2. I think that has been ruled discrimination

I used to live in an "Adults Only" apartment complex but sometime in the early nineties they announced that this policy had been struck down by the supreme court and they had to start accepting families.

Sorry I don't have specifics of the case, just a vague memory.

[sbj405]

3. I think it may depend on the type of apt

I don't think smaller units or single apartments are required to meet all the fair housing laws.

[LostinVA]

4. It's up to the jurisdiction, is my understanding

[eyesroll]

5. Only if the building is a designated senior community or it's the

landlord's own house or sublet (i.e. he's renting out a room or in-law quarters). You're allowed to discriminate when choosing a roommate, basically (which is understandable -- if you don't want to live with kids or members of the opposite sex or smokers or whatever, you shouldn't have to).

[midnight armadillo]

6. It's half of a two-family

The owner is a 90-year old guy in the downstairs apartment, they're renting out the top.

[AlCzervik]

7. this site has the laws

Right Against Unlawful Discrimination: Under federal law, it is unlawful
to refuse rental of any apartment because of race or color (42 USC
$1982). Under state law, it is also unlawful to refuse rental of any
apartment because of dependence upon public or rental assistance. Except
in owner-occupied 2-family dwellings, the Massachusetts Fair Housing Law
also prohibits discrimination against any person because of religion,
national origin, age, ancestry, military background or service, sex,
marital status, blindness, deafness, or the need of a guide dog (M.G.L.
c. 151B sec 4). It is also generally unlawful to refuse to rent to adults
with children, but there are exceptions to this rule.

you'll to check for the exceptions.

http://www.lectlaw.com/files/lat07.htm

[warrens]

8. Yes

It depends on your city or state, type of housing and so on, but a landlord has the right to rent to singles or families without children. As a parent, I don't approve, but kids do tend to be tough on housing.

When I was living in Florida, there was a place near me that had a rule against teenage children.