Discrimination Laws with House Hacking Tenant Screening

[Sarah Klein]

I'm house hacking a SFH, i.e. I'm going to live in one bedroom and rent out the other two rooms to tenants who are also my roommates.

I know that as a landlord, you're not allowed to ask personal questions to avoid discrimination charges. 

But as someone whose tenants will also be their roommates, I want to learn about the people who will be living in my house with me. 

For this situation, how would you navigate finding out information while interviewing tenants like: where are you from, how old are you generally, where did you go to school, what do you like to do for fun, do you have a SO who will be over often, do you cook a lot, etc.?

[Evan Polaski]

@Sarah Klein I will mirror others that you need to confirm with your own local laws.  My understanding was when you are renting in your primary residence, i.e. renting rooms in your own house, essentially discrimination laws do not exist with the rationale being that you have to live with said people, so race, religion, sex, age, sexual status are all fair game.

And again, as others mentioned, if you do feel like someone won't be a good fit, I would definitely keep it general as to why you don't want to rent to them and not state why, particularly if it for something that could be viewed as discrimination.