Fergus Falls, Minn., Mun. Code Ch. 98 (2026) § 98.03
EXCEPTIONS
Operative Text
(A) Employment. The provisions of § 98.04 (A) of this chapter shall not apply to: (1) The employment of any individual by his or her parent, grandparent, spouse, child, grandchild, brother or sister; (2) The employment of any individual in the domestic service of any person; (3) A religious and fraternal corporation, association or society, with respect to qualifications based on religion, which religion shall be a bona fide occupational qualification for employment; or (4) The employment of one person in place of another which, standing by itself, shall not be evidence of an unfair discriminatory practice. (B) Housing. The provisions of § 98.04 (B) of this chapter shall not apply to: (1) The rental of a portion of a dwelling containing accommodations for two families, one of which is occupied by the owner; (2) The rental by an owner of a one-family accommodation in which he or she resides, of a room or rooms in the accommodation; or (3) The rental, lease or sale of a one-family dwelling, owner-occupied, not defined as a publicly-assisted housing accommodation. (2002 Code, § 6.78)
Fergus Falls Ch. 98 Discrimination (Fair Housing) § 98.03 carves out specific situations where the city's fair housing and employment anti-discrimination rules do not apply. On the employment side, these exceptions cover close family employment relationships, domestic service workers, and religion-based hiring by religious or fraternal organizations. On the housing side, the exceptions cover owner-occupied two-family dwellings, owner-occupied single-family homes where the owner rents a room, and the sale or rental of a privately owned, non-publicly-assisted single-family home where the owner lives on the premises.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 98.03, property owners who live in a two-family dwelling, rent a room within their own single-family residence, or sell or rent a privately owned single-family home they occupy may fall outside the reach of the fair housing prohibitions in § 98.04(B). Operators who qualify for one of these exceptions should still document their ownership and occupancy status carefully, as the exception is tied directly to owner-occupancy. Landlords whose properties do not meet these narrow criteria remain fully subject to the anti-discrimination provisions of Chapter 98.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section § 98.03 limits the scope of fair housing protections in certain owner-occupied housing situations, meaning some rental arrangements—such as renting a room in an owner's personal residence—may not be covered by § 98.04(B). Tenants who believe they have experienced housing discrimination should first assess whether their specific housing arrangement falls within one of these exceptions before determining how to proceed. Tenant-rights organizations and local government offices can help individuals understand whether the protections of Fergus Falls Ch. 98 apply to their situation.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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