Why “no criminal records” gets a Fair Housing caution in listings

Why

"Criminal records, no" is on the LIBOR prohibited list. Several states and cities limit criminal-history screening, and blanket bans can have a discriminatory effect. (HUD's 2022 criminal-records guidance was withdrawn in Sept. 2025. State and local rules still apply.)

Safer wording

• screening criteria apply

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.

Check your own wording

Paste a sentence or your whole listing. It runs ListingLint's real rule engine in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. no criminal records

1 phrase to look at

• Caution “no criminal records”

  "Criminal records, no" is on the LIBOR prohibited list. Several states and cities limit criminal-history screening, and blanket bans can have a discriminatory effect. (HUD's 2022 criminal-records guidance was withdrawn in Sept. 2025. State and local rules still apply.)

  Try: screening criteria apply

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

Federal law names seven classes. Many states and cities add more, such as source of income or marital status, and some add military status or criminal history. A phrase that's fine under federal law can still break a local ordinance, so check the rules where the property is.

• Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3604(c)

Sources

• Long Island Board of REALTORS®: Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase Guidelines (Mar. 2025)
• LeadingAge: HUD withdraws fair housing guidance documents (Sept. 17, 2025 memo)

Related phrases

• no section 8 Avoid
• pay stubs required Caution
• verifiable income Depends
• married only Avoid
• no military Avoid
• no students Caution
• low income people Caution
• credit check required OK

All state / local classes 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 st-criminal, ListingLint rules v2026.10.2.