Fair Housing phrase guide / Religion
Why “near catholic school” gets a Fair Housing caution in listings
Caution Flagged as a caution, because it often reads as a preference for, or against, a group of people.
Why
Steering buyers toward a religious school is a religious reference used as a selling point. Naming the public school district is on the acceptable lists.
Safer wording
There's no one-click rewrite for this one. Describe the property, not the people, and rewrite this part by hand.
What the tag means
Caution means the phrase is on the caution side of the cited lists, or describes people in a way that usually reads as a preference. Many agents still use some of these, but describing the property instead is the safer move.
What the law covers here
Religion is a protected class under the federal Fair Housing Act. The usual problem is an ad that suggests who should live somewhere because of faith, such as naming a congregation as the reason to buy. A neutral place name with a religious word in it, like a street name, is treated differently in HUD's 1995 guidance.
Sources
- Long Island Board of REALTORS®: Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase Guidelines (Mar. 2025)
- Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase List (New York Press Assn.; source: Oklahoma Press Assn.)
- CRMLS Fair Housing Word & Phrase List (Apr. 2021)
Related phrases
All religion 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 rel-religious-school, ListingLint rules v2026.10.2.