by FantasyLab

Fair Housing phrase guide / Familial status

Is “solo adultos” a Fair Housing violation in a listing?

Avoid Flagged as high risk. Most word lists put this on the avoid side.

Why

Spanish for "no children" or "adults only": the same limitation HUD's memo says an ad may not state, on the avoid side of all three cited lists. Only housing that qualifies for the housing-for-older-persons exemption is different.

Safer wording

There's no one-click rewrite for this one. Elimínelo. Describa la propiedad: "Casa de un nivel con patio cercado."

What the tag means

Avoid means an explicit preference or limitation, or a phrase on the avoid side of the cited word lists. This is the risk end of the scale, not a style choice.

What ListingLint matches

This rule is tested against its own examples on every change. It catches solo adultos, and also: No se aceptan niños, sin niños.

Check your own wording

1 phrase to look at

  • Avoid “solo adultos”

    Spanish for "no children" or "adults only": the same limitation HUD's memo says an ad may not state, on the avoid side of all three cited lists. Only housing that qualifies for the housing-for-older-persons exemption is different.

A word check, not a legal review. Open the full checker for fixes, the fact lock and the MLS character count.

What the law covers here

Familial status means a household with one or more children under 18 living with a parent or legal custodian (or that person's designee). It also covers anyone who is pregnant or in the process of getting legal custody of a child. Housing that qualifies as housing for older persons has a separate exemption with its own requirements.

Sources

About the 1995 HUD memo

HUD no longer posts the 1995 memo on its website. Oregon REALTORS reported in April 2026 that HUD removed it without notice, and HUD withdrew its April 2024 digital-advertising guidance in September 2025. The Fair Housing Act and HUD's advertising regulation (24 CFR § 100.75) didn't change. Boards and MLS word lists still lean on the memo, which is why it's still cited here, as history and as the clearest explanation of how ads are read.

Related phrases

All familial status phrases on one page · The 12-check listing checklist

Not legal advice. Word lists can't judge context, and laws differ by state and city, with some protecting more classes than federal law does. If you're unsure about a listing, ask your broker or a fair housing attorney. Rule es-fam-children, ListingLint rules v2026.10.3.