The Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibits certain categories of discrimination in housing/real estate advertising. OPA developed several aids to assist member newspapers in following the regulations specified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Remember: Describe the PROPERTY, not the people.

Word and Phrases List

The 8.5x14 flier linked below will help you understand which words to AVOID, when to use CAUTION, and which words are ACCEPTABLE.

Publisher's Notice & EHO Logo Requirements

A Publisher's Notice indicates compliance with the Fair Housing Act. It must be published one time in every edition of your publication that contains real estate/housing advertising. The notice should be placed at the beginning of the real estate/housing classified ads. The PDF linked below provides a sample Publisher's Notice with the language required by HUD.

Display Advertising for real estate and rental properties should include the Equal Housing Opportnity slogan or logo. The PDF linked below lists the slogan and logo size standards required by HUD.

Equal Housing Opportunity Logos

HUD Fair Housing Advertising Guidelines

Download the seven-page PDF of HUD's advertising guidelines for additional information.