Harwood Heights — Title 19 Fair Housing § 19.08.020
Refusal to negotiate or deal
Operative Text
Refusal to sell or rent, after the making of a bona fide offer, or refusal to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any person because of factors set forth in Section 19.04.010 .
Section 19.08.020 of Harwood Heights Title 19 Fair Housing prohibits housing providers from refusing to sell or rent a dwelling, declining to negotiate, or otherwise making a dwelling unavailable to any person on the basis of the protected characteristics listed in Section 19.04.010. The rule applies both to outright refusals following a genuine offer and to subtler conduct that effectively denies access to housing. It covers the full range of transactional steps, from initial negotiation through final sale or rental.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 19.08.020, compliant housing operators generally respond to all bona fide offers and negotiate in good faith regardless of an applicant's protected characteristics as defined in Section 19.04.010. Operators typically document their application and negotiation processes consistently across all prospective buyers or renters to demonstrate that decisions are based on neutral, lawful criteria. Maintaining uniform written policies for how inquiries and offers are handled is a common practice among operators seeking to meet the standard this provision establishes.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 19.08.020 gives individuals the right not to be turned away from housing negotiations or transactions because of characteristics protected under Section 19.04.010. If a housing provider refused to respond to a bona fide offer or otherwise made a dwelling unavailable on a prohibited basis, that conduct may form the basis of a fair housing complaint. Tenants and prospective renters can explore options such as contacting a local tenant-rights organization, reaching out to the Harwood Heights village government, or filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation