Fair Housing Policy of Goldberg Realty Associates

 

It is the policy of Goldberg Realty Associates to comply with the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), N.J.S.A. § 10:5-1 to 49, and the Fair Chance in Housing Act (FCHA), N.J.S.A. §46:8-52 to 64 as well as all other state and federal laws relating to discrimination in housing.

NEW JERSEY LAW AGAINST DISCRIMINATION (“LAD”):

  1. compliance with the LAD, Goldberg Realty Associates ensures that all housing, as well as all terms, conditions, and privileges associated with such housing, are available to all persons without regard to actual or perceived race, creed, religion, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, pregnancy or breastfeeding, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, familial status (defined as having care or custody of a child under age 18 or being pregnant), disability, liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States, marital status, civil union status, or domestic partnership status. The LAD also prohibits housing discrimination based on the source of lawful income used for rental or mortgage payments.

This policy means that, among other things, the owners and operators of Goldberg Realty Associates do not discriminate against persons in any aspect of the sale, rental, or occupancy of housing on the basis of their actual or perceived membership in an LAD-protected category or their association with someone who is a member of an LAD-protected category, or their source of lawful income.

Goldberg Realty Associates also grants reasonable accommodations that are necessary to a person with a disability so that the person may have equal opportunity to enjoy and use the dwelling. Individuals with a disability may request to keep an assistance animal (service animal or emotional support animal) as a reasonable accommodation to Goldberg Realty Associates’ pet restrictions and such individuals may also ask for a waiver of the pet fee.

As a reasonable accommodation, the use of animals that work, provide assistance, or perform tasks that benefit persons with disabilities, or provide emotional support to alleviate a symptom or effect of a disability are permitted. However, the person requesting the accommodation must provide reliable, disability related information in support of the request, if the disability and the disability related need for the animal is not apparent. Goldberg Realty Associates does not charge an extra security deposit, fee and/or surcharge for an assistance animal. However, Goldberg Realty may charge a tenant for damage caused by the tenant’s assistance animal (or deduct it from the security deposit imposed on all tenants.)

Goldberg Realty Associates reserves the right to deny a request for an assistance animal if the request is not supported by reliable information in support of the disability and the disability related need for the animal, if granting the request would impose an undue financial and administrative burden on Goldberg Realty Associates, the request would fundamentally alter the essential nature of Goldberg Realty Associates’ operations, and/or the specific assistance animal in question would pose a direct threat to the health and safety of others despite any other reasonable accommodations that could eliminate the threat, the request would result in significant physical damage to the property of others despite any other reasonable accommodations that could eliminate or reduce the physical damage.

If an animal does not qualify as an assistance animal, it will be treated as a pet for purposes of the lease and Goldberg Realty Associates’ rules and policies. Goldberg Realty Associates charges a pet fee.

 

Fair Chance in Housing Act (‘FCHA”):

In compliance with the FCHA, Goldberg Realty Associates does not inquire into applicants’ criminal histories on initial application materials, or otherwise consider applicants’ criminal records in any way, until after a conditional housing offer has been made, except for convictions of drug-related criminal activity for the manufacture or production of methamphetamine on the premises of federally assisted housing, or if the applicant is subject to a lifetime registration on a state sex offender registry. Once a conditional housing offer is made, applicants’ criminal histories are reviewed. Goldberg Realty Associates evaluates applicants based upon the criteria set forth in the FCHA and follows the process set forth in the FCHA with respect to acceptance and/or denial of applicants.