"Agent safety in October, and every other month, remains a critical theme. The industry is rightly reminded each fall to take precautions during showings and open houses, and true safety extends well beyond physical well-being. For agents, particularly those navigating the complexities of the rental market, safety increasingly means protection against lawsuits, regulatory violations, and professional missteps in an environment that is becoming more complicated by the day."
"The scale of the challenge is clear in the numbers. More than 28,000 housing discrimination complaints were filed in 2023, with over 80 percent being tied to rental housing, according to data from the National Fair Housing Alliance. This is not a marginal issue but reflects the reality that the rental sector is where regulatory scrutiny and legal exposure are often most acute. The tools that agents rely on, such as tenant screening platforms, pricing software, even the documents used to process applications, are all under sharper legal and regulatory examination than ever before."
Agent safety requires both physical precautions during showings and legal protection against lawsuits and regulatory violations. Rental housing generated more than 28,000 housing discrimination complaints in 2023, with over 80 percent tied to rentals according to the National Fair Housing Alliance. Tenant screening platforms, pricing software, and application documents face increasing legal and regulatory scrutiny. A Massachusetts tenant secured a $2.3 million settlement from a screening provider after being denied housing due to flawed data that discriminated against voucher holders. The Department of Justice and several states allege RealPage’s algorithms facilitate collusion and inflate rents, with potential damages estimated at $73 billion. Local governments are raising penalties for rent gouging during emergencies. Agents must combine situational awareness at showings with careful vetting of the tools and processes they use to reduce legal exposure.
Read at www.housingwire.com
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