West Virginia Fair Housing
Practice Questions & Answers (2026)

Fair housing is tested on every real estate exam in the country, but West Virginia candidates must know both federal and state-level protections. While West Virginia enforces the seven federal protected classes (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability), the West Virginia Real Estate Commission also tests how these protections apply in West Virginia-specific rental, sales, and advertising scenarios. Steering, blockbusting, redlining, and discriminatory advertising are all tested — and candidates who think they know fair housing cold often miss the state-specific extensions or the nuanced application scenarios. Review every question here carefully.

Practice Questions

West Virginia Fair Housing — Practice Questions & Answers

111 questions on Fair Housing from the West Virginia real estate question bank. First 10 are free — sign up to unlock all 111.

Q1. The West Virginia Human Rights Act prohibits housing discrimination based on all of the following EXCEPT:

A.Race
B.Ancestry
C.Blindness
D.Political party affiliation

Explanation

West Virginia's Human Rights Act prohibits housing discrimination based on race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, blindness, and disability. Political party affiliation is not a protected class.

Q2. Redlining, as prohibited by the Fair Housing Act, refers to:

A.Drawing red lines on a property survey
B.A lender's practice of denying loans or setting unfavorable terms based on the racial composition of a neighborhood
C.A seller's refusal to consider lowball offers
D.An agent's practice of highlighting competing listings in red

Explanation

Redlining is the illegal practice of refusing mortgage loans or imposing more burdensome terms on properties in minority neighborhoods. It is prohibited by the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.

Q3. Under the Fair Housing Act, a person who files a housing discrimination complaint with HUD must do so within:

A.30 days of the alleged violation
B.90 days of the alleged violation
C.1 year of the alleged violation
D.2 years of the alleged violation

Explanation

A housing discrimination complaint must be filed with HUD within one year of the alleged discriminatory act. The complainant may also file a private lawsuit within two years.

Q4. In West Virginia, a property manager who refuses to rent to a person because they use a wheelchair is violating the Fair Housing Act's protection for:

A.Race
B.Familial status
C.Disability (handicap)
D.National origin

Explanation

Disability (also called handicap) is a protected class under the Fair Housing Act. Refusing to rent to a person because of a physical disability, including wheelchair use, is illegal discrimination.

Q5. Steering, as prohibited by the Fair Housing Act, occurs when an agent:

A.Directs buyers to or away from neighborhoods based on the racial or ethnic composition of those areas
B.Recommends specific lenders to buyers
C.Advises buyers on which neighborhoods have good schools
D.Discusses market conditions in different areas

Explanation

Steering is the illegal practice of guiding buyers toward or away from particular neighborhoods based on protected characteristics such as race, religion, or national origin.

Q6. Under the Fair Housing Act, familial status protects:

A.Married couples only
B.Families with children under 18 and pregnant women
C.Extended families living together
D.All households regardless of composition

Explanation

Familial status protects families with children under age 18 living with a parent or legal guardian, and pregnant women. Refusing to rent or sell to such families is illegal discrimination.

Q7. A West Virginia apartment complex markets itself as '55+ housing for older persons.' To qualify for this exemption from familial status requirements, what percentage of units must be occupied by persons 55 or older?

A.At least 50%
B.At least 55%
C.At least 75% with at least one person 55+ per unit
D.100% of units

Explanation

To qualify for the 55-and-older housing exemption under the Fair Housing Act, at least 80% of the occupied units must have at least one person 55 or older, and the community must publish and follow policies demonstrating intent to be 55+ housing.

Q8. A landlord refuses to allow a tenant with a mental health disability to have an emotional support animal despite the no-pets policy. Under the Fair Housing Act, the landlord is likely:

A.Within their rights because the no-pets policy applies to all tenants equally
B.Violating the Act by refusing a reasonable accommodation for a disability
C.Required only to allow service dogs, not emotional support animals
D.Exempt if they own fewer than 4 units

Explanation

The Fair Housing Act requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, including allowing emotional support animals (not just service animals) even if a no-pets policy exists.

Q9. Blockbusting in West Virginia occurs when:

A.An agent lists many properties in one neighborhood
B.A person induces panic selling by suggesting that members of a protected class are moving into an area
C.A developer buys and demolishes an entire city block
D.An investor purchases multiple distressed properties

Explanation

Blockbusting (also called panic peddling) is the illegal practice of inducing homeowners to sell by suggesting that the entry of people of a particular protected class into the neighborhood will have negative effects on property values.

Q10. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to real estate primarily in the context of:

A.Residential sales
B.New commercial construction and public accommodations
C.Single-family rental homes
D.Agricultural property

Explanation

The ADA requires accessibility in places of public accommodation and commercial facilities. For real estate, it applies primarily to commercial buildings, requiring accessible design in new construction and renovations.

Q11. The West Virginia Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on all of the following EXCEPT:

A.Race
B.Religion
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