Happy Saturday Everyone,

I need help. I want to get legal assistance to make sure I am screening applicants properly. I am concerned about fair housing. I am in Los Angeles. I have contacted the Los Angeles County Bar Association but they seem to specialize in evictions. 

Does anyone know of anyone I can call?

So two suggestions:

1) Don’t do it. Use a professional property manager who is trained and liable for these decisions. Do not be involved in tenant selection unless you’re a professional who is willing and capable of taking on the liability. If you do this, you have literally no liability and nothing to worry about.

2) Ignoring #1, you need to set fair/legal criteria (understand if you can screen on felonies in your jurisdiction, for example) and apply them evenly. That means you offer housing to the first applicant who meets your pre-defined criteria. Check with an in-state/in-market attorney like Julie Anderson in KC.

I don't know who you can call but the hud website is pretty thorough:
https://www.hud.gov/program_of...

Are you asking for the California market or the Kansas City market? I would imagine that anything in California is a bit pickier and easier to complain about than KC.

I would just look up real estate attorneys or ask other investors at your local REIA group which attorneys they use for such things and they will be able to let you know if you're walking the straight and narrow.