Missouri Fair Housing Laws: Real Estate Exam Study Guide

Missouri Fair Housing Exam Guide

Fair housing is tested on both the national and state sections of the Missouri real estate exam. Missouri's fair housing law mirrors federal law and adds one additional protected class. Knowing both layers is essential for answering state-section questions correctly.

The Federal Fair Housing Act

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on seven protected classes:

Race
Color
Religion
Sex
National Origin
Disability (added 1988)
Familial Status (added 1988)

These seven classes are the minimum floor of protection — states can add classes, but cannot remove them.

Missouri Fair Housing Law

Missouri's Human Rights Act mirrors the federal Fair Housing Act and adds one additional protected class:

Marital Status — Missouri prohibits housing discrimination based on whether a person is married, single, divorced, or widowed.

For the Missouri state section of the exam, know that Missouri protects 8 classes total: the federal 7 plus marital status. When a question asks what Missouri adds to fair housing, the answer is marital status.

Prohibited Practices Under Missouri Fair Housing

Steering: Directing buyers or renters toward or away from neighborhoods based on the protected characteristics of neighborhood residents or the prospective purchaser.

Blockbusting: Inducing homeowners to sell by suggesting that members of a protected class are moving into the neighborhood and property values will decline as a result.

Redlining: Refusing to make loans or provide insurance in specific geographic areas based on the racial or ethnic composition of those areas.

Discriminatory advertising: Placing ads that indicate preference or limitation based on any protected class.

Differential treatment in terms and conditions: Offering different prices, terms, or conditions of sale or rental based on protected class.

Exemptions to Federal Fair Housing

The federal Fair Housing Act contains specific exemptions:

The Mrs. Murphy Exemption: Applies to owner-occupied buildings with 4 or fewer units. The owner may choose tenants based on non-federally-protected grounds, but cannot use discriminatory advertising and cannot discriminate based on race under the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (42 USC 1982 — which has NO exemptions).

Single-family homes sold or rented by the owner without a real estate broker — subject to advertising restrictions.

Religious organizations — May restrict housing to members for non-commercial housing.

Private clubs — May restrict housing to members.

Note: These exemptions do NOT apply to the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which prohibits race discrimination with no exceptions.

Disability Protections

The Fair Housing Act imposes specific obligations related to disability:

Reasonable accommodation: A change in rules, policies, or services that allows a person with a disability equal opportunity to use and enjoy the housing. Example: allowing a service animal in a no-pets building.

Reasonable modification: A physical change to the property that a person with a disability needs. Generally, the tenant pays for the modification and may be required to restore the property upon moving out (in non-federally-assisted housing).

Accessible design requirements: Multifamily housing with 4+ units built after March 13, 1991 must meet specific design and construction accessibility requirements.

Enforcement and Penalties

Fair housing complaints in Missouri can be filed with: - HUD — within 1 year of the discriminatory act - Federal courts — within 2 years - Missouri Commission on Human Rights — within 180 days under Missouri law

Civil penalties for first-time violations under federal law can reach up to $21,663 (indexed for inflation).

Exam Preparation

Fair housing questions on the Missouri exam often present factual scenarios. You need to identify whether a protected class is involved, whether an exemption applies, and which action would constitute a violation.

[CARealestate.com/states/missouri](https://carealestate.com/states/missouri) includes fair housing practice questions alongside Missouri Brokerage Relationship Act and MREC content.