Jacksonville — Ch. 10 Fair Housing § 10-13
Limitations
Operative Text
(a) Nothing in this chapter shall require an owner to offer real property to the public at large before selling or renting it, providing he complies with all other provisions of this chapter. (b) Nothing in this chapter shall require an owner or his agent to offer real property for sale or lease to any person if the owner or his agent has reasonable cause, which can be substantiated, to believe that such person is not negotiating for the purchase or lease of such real property in good faith. (c) Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prohibit owners from giving preference to prospective tenants or buyers for any reason other than race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental disability or unfavorable discharge from military service. (d) Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prohibit restricting the rental of rooms in a housing accommodation to persons of one (1) sex. (e) Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prohibit a religious organization, association or society from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of real property, which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose, to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, marital status, physical or mental disability or unfavorable discharge from military service.
Jacksonville Ch. 10 Fair Housing § 10-13 sets out several carve-outs to the chapter's general fair-housing requirements. Owners are not required to advertise property to the general public before selling or renting, as long as they otherwise comply with the chapter's anti-discrimination rules. The provision also clarifies that owners may decline to deal with someone they have substantiated reason to believe is not negotiating in good faith, that single-sex room rentals are permitted, and that non-commercial religious organizations may give preference to members of their own religion — unless that religion itself restricts membership on a protected-class basis.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Jacksonville Ch. 10 Fair Housing § 10-13, compliant property owners understand that these limitations do not override the chapter's core anti-discrimination obligations — they only define narrow areas where certain preferences or restrictions are permissible. Operators who rely on a 'not negotiating in good faith' rationale generally document the specific, substantiated facts supporting that conclusion, since the provision requires the cause to be demonstrable. Owners who are religious organizations operating non-commercial properties typically confirm that their membership criteria do not themselves exclude people on the basis of race, color, national origin, or other protected characteristics listed in § 10-13(e).
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Jacksonville Ch. 10 Fair Housing § 10-13 describes the limited circumstances in which an owner may lawfully decline to deal with a prospective tenant or buyer without violating the chapter's fair-housing protections. If a tenant believes an owner is improperly invoking one of these exceptions — for example, claiming a 'not in good faith' rationale without substantiated cause — that concern can be raised as a potential fair-housing violation under the broader chapter. Tenants who believe their protected-class status was the real reason for a refusal may consider contacting a local tenant-rights organization or a fair-housing agency to explore available options under Ch. 10.
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.
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