1. Race: Black, White, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native Alaskan, Native American (American Indian) or other bi- or multi-racial.
2. Color: what the person considers to the the color of their skin.
3. National Origin: what country the person is from.
4. Religion: set of beliefs, creeds, tenents and/or practices that relate to what a person considers their "religion" or their "church."
5. Gender: whether the person is female or male. In Utah, sexual orientation (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) is NOT a protected class. Cross-dressing is not a protected class. This protection extends to sexual harrassment in housing practices.
6. Disability: a physical or mental disability (including mobility, hearing and visual impairments, cancer, chronic mental illness, AIDS, AIDS Related Complex, mental retardation); a record of such disability; or be considered to have such a disability.
a. With regard to disability, the Fair Housing Act states that a landlord may NOT refuse to allow you to make reasonable modifications to your dwelling or common use area at your own expense, if necessary for the disabled person to use the housing.
b. A landlord may NOT refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services if necessary for the disabled person to use the housing. For example, the "no pets" rule does not apply to service, assistance or companion animals. A landlord may not charge a deposit for these animals.
c. Design Guidelines: If a building with 4 or more units no will be ready for first occupancy after March 13, 1991, certain design and construction regulations apply.
These include:
- public and common area accessibility
- doorway width (minimum 32 inch clearance)
- reinforced bathroom walls to allow installation of grab-bars at toilet, tub and shower
- kitchen and bathroom maneuverability space
- accessible switches, outlets and environmental controls
d. If the building has an elevator, all the units need to meet the guidelines. If there is no elevator, all the ground floor units must meet these guidelines.
7. Familial Status:
a. persons under age 18 living with parent or legal guardian
b. designee of parent or guardian w/written permission
c. pregnant women
d. persons in process of adoption
e. persons in process of securing legal guardianship of child under the age of 18
8. Source of Income: (additional protected class in Utah). This includes any local, state or federal financial assistance such as Section 8 housing assistance/ vouchers, SSI or disability income, Social Security income, Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC).
