If you’re 55 years old or older, there are several laws in place that protect you from discrimination. Many people don’t know about these laws and the protections they afford—or even that they exist. The good news is that you can use them to your advantage once you know about them! This article will discuss the federal laws protecting you in Sarasota Florida 55 plus communities.
The Federal Fair Housing Act
The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, or financing of dwellings. It also forbids discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, color and sex. Additionally, it protects people from discrimination based on familial status (including children under 18 years of age living with parents or legal custodians) and disability. In short: this law prevents landlords from denying housing to renters because they’re old!
The Americans With Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal law that forbids discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment, transportation, communications, public accommodations, and governmental activities. Under the ADA, “disability” is defined as a mental or physical impairment that considerably limits one or more major life activities of an individual. The ADA also protects individuals who are regarded as having such an impairment even if they do not have such an impairment.
The ADA entitles qualified employees to reasonable accommodations so that they can perform their jobs and enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as those enjoyed by other employees without disabilities. For example:
- Allowing a person to use a service animal at work
- Providing interpreters for deaf workers who need them in meetings or training sessions
The Age Discrimination In Employment Act
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) guards against age-based discrimination for those who are forty years of age or over. The ADEA forbids discrimination against people based on their age and is applicable to firms with 20 or more employees. This includes hiring, firing, promotion, layoffs, and other terms and conditions of employment.
To qualify for protection under the ADEA, you must be 40 years old or older. If you’re between 40 and 65 years old when you apply for a position at our property management company—and otherwise meet the requirements—you may qualify as “protected” under the law.
The ADEA applies only if you work for a covered employer—generally an employer with at least 20 employees who work within the United States. Also excluded from coverage are religious organizations, labor unions; certain educational institutions; certain federal government agencies; and state or local governments.
Protection For Military Veterans
Veterans are protected from discrimination under the Fair Housing Act and the Military and Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Realty Practices. These laws ensure that veteran status cannot be used to deny housing opportunities. The following rights apply to veterans:
- Right to a safe and secure home. Veterans deserve homes that are free from safety hazards, including those caused by structural or design flaws or other physical problems with the property. If you were harmed due to these issues, you might be entitled to compensation for lost wages and medical bills as well as pain and suffering damages.
- Right to fair housing. It should go without saying that members of our armed forces should have access to affordable housing anywhere in America—and yet some landlords still discriminate against military service members when deciding who they’ll rent their properties out too or whether they’ll even take applications from them at all!
Know Your Rights And Protect Yourself With The Law
You have a right to be secure in your home. If you find that you are the victim of a crime, such as theft or burglary, you can call the police and expect them to respond. You also have the right to sue for damages if someone breaks into your house and steals something from within it. If someone breaks into your home and steals something that isn’t there at the time of entry (for example, if they go into your garage when you’re away and take some tools), then they may not be held liable for damages because they didn’t actually steal anything from within your house itself.
