Wisconsin Fair Housing
Practice Questions & Answers (2026)
Fair housing is tested on every real estate exam in the country, but Wisconsin candidates must know both federal and state-level protections. While Wisconsin enforces the seven federal protected classes (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability), the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) also tests how these protections apply in Wisconsin-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.
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Wisconsin Fair Housing — Practice Questions & Answers
111 questions on Fair Housing from the Wisconsin real estate question bank. First 10 are free — sign up to unlock all 111.
Q1. The Wisconsin Open Housing Law (Wis. Stat. § 106.50) protects individuals from housing discrimination based on all of the following EXCEPT:
Explanation
Wisconsin's Open Housing Law protects against housing discrimination based on sex, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, lawful source of income, and age. Eye color is not a protected class.
Q2. Under Wisconsin's Open Housing Law, 'source of income' as a protected class means a landlord CANNOT refuse to rent to someone because they use:
Explanation
Wisconsin's Open Housing Law includes 'lawful source of income' as a protected class, which means landlords cannot refuse to rent to individuals who use Section 8 vouchers or other lawful forms of rental assistance.
Q3. A Wisconsin real estate broker is approached by a seller who says 'I don't want to sell to anyone from that country.' The broker should:
Explanation
A broker cannot comply with a discriminatory restriction. The broker should refuse the listing and explain that honoring the restriction would violate the federal Fair Housing Act and Wisconsin's Open Housing Law.
Q4. The federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires places of public accommodation to:
Explanation
The ADA requires places of public accommodation to remove architectural barriers where 'readily achievable' (easily accomplishable without much difficulty or expense). It is separate from the Fair Housing Act, which applies to residential properties.
Q5. Wisconsin's Open Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on all federal protected classes AND adds which Wisconsin-specific protected class?
Explanation
Wisconsin's Open Housing Act adds protections beyond federal fair housing law, including sexual orientation, marital status, source of income, and others. Wisconsin's state law is broader than the federal Fair Housing Act.
Q6. Steering in real estate means:
Explanation
Steering is the illegal practice of directing buyers toward or away from particular neighborhoods based on race, religion, national origin, or other protected characteristics, in violation of the Fair Housing Act and Wisconsin Open Housing Act.
Q7. Blockbusting under fair housing law involves:
Explanation
Blockbusting (panic selling) is the illegal practice of inducing homeowners to sell by suggesting that members of a protected class are moving into the neighborhood, thereby driving down property values through fear.
Q8. Redlining in real estate refers to:
Explanation
Redlining is the illegal practice by lenders or insurers of refusing to provide services in certain neighborhoods based on the racial or ethnic composition of those areas, in violation of fair lending and fair housing laws.
Q9. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, which of the following is a permitted exemption?
Explanation
The 'Mrs. Murphy exemption' allows owner-occupants of buildings with 4 or fewer units to sell or rent without using a broker and without being subject to the Fair Housing Act's advertising and sales provisions, though discriminatory advertising is still prohibited.
Q10. A Wisconsin landlord refuses to allow a tenant with a physical disability to install grab bars in the bathroom. This is:
Explanation
The Fair Housing Act requires landlords to allow persons with disabilities to make reasonable modifications to the property at their own expense (and to restore it upon vacating if reasonable). Refusing a grab bar installation is a fair housing violation.
Q11. Under Wisconsin's Open Housing Act, a complaint must be filed with the Wisconsin Equal Rights Division within:
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