I need advice on a situation I'm facing. I have a rental applicant who would be going on Maternity Leave from their job for the first 3 months of their rental term. I'm not sure if it'll be paid time off, and if she'll have any income for those 3 months.
I don't want to break any Fair Housing laws. So, what questions should I be asking them? And what documentation, if any, do I need from them and/or their employer to make sure they'll still be employed and receiving an income? My main concern is that they might have trouble paying their rent at some point while being absent from work.
Consult a local real estate attorney. They'll give you the most specific advice for your area. Beyond that, you'd want to screen them like any other person (credit, income, etc.) and avoid asking questions that may violate the FHA.
Rental Property Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
4y
A lot of maternity leaves are covered by employers or under FMLA. In my mind the bigger risk is of new parents deciding not to return to work after their leave runs out. I would not use a 3 month event as a deciding factor, esepcially something that has the appearance of discrimination. I would look at other factors like how long they have held the job, how long they have stayed at other addresses, and normal established criteria.