Grant County, WI Fair Housing

It is unlawful for any person in Grant County to discriminate:

By refusing to sell, rent, finance or contract to construct housing or by refusing to negotiate or discuss the terms thereof;

(2)

By refusing to permit inspection or exacting different or more stringent price, terms, or conditions for the sale, lease, financing or rental of housing;

(3)

By refusing to finance or sell an unimproved residential lot or to construct a home or residence on such lot;

(4)

By advertising in a manner that indicates discrimination by a preference or limitation;

(5)

For a person in the business of insuring against hazards, by refusing to enter into, or by exacting different terms, conditions or privileges with respect to, a contract of insurance against hazards to a dwelling;

(6)

By refusing to renew a lease, causing the eviction of a tenant from rental housing or engaging in the harassment of a tenant;

(7)

In providing the privileges, services or facilities that are available in connection with housing;

(8)

By falsely representing that housing is unavailable for inspection, rental or sale;

(9)

By denying access to, or membership or participation in, a multiple listing service or other real estate service;

(10)

By coercing, intimidating, threatening, or interfering with a person in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of his or her having exercised or enjoyed, a right granted or protected under this chapter, or with a person who has aided or encouraged another person in the exercise or enjoyment of a right granted or protected under this chapter;

(11)

By otherwise making unavailable or denying housing; or

(12)

In making available any of the following transactions, or in the terms or conditions of such transactions, for a person whose business includes engaging in residential real estate related transactions: the making or purchasing of loans or the provision of other financial assistance for purchasing, constructing, improving, repairing or maintaining housing or the making or purchasing of loans or the provision of other financial assistance secured by residential real estate, or the selling, brokering or appraising of residential real property.

No person may induce or attempt to induce a person to sell or rent housing by representations regarding the present or prospective entry in to the neighborhood of a person of a particular economic status or a member of a protected class, or by representations to the effect that such present or prospective entry will or may result in any of the following:

(1)

The lowering of real estate values in the area concerned;

(2)

A deterioration in the character of the area concerned;

(3)

An increase in criminal or antisocial behavior in the area concerned; or

(4)

A decline in the quality of the schools or other public facilities serving the area.

No person may do any of the following:

(1)

Segregate, separate, exclude or treat unequally in the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, housing to a buyer or renter because of a disability of that buyer or renter, a disability of a person residing in or intending to reside in that housing after it is sold, rented or made available or a disability of a person associated with that buyer or renter.

(2)

Segregate, separate, exclude or treat unequally a person in the terms, conditions or privileges of sale or rental of housing or in the provision of services or facilities in connection with such housing because of disability of that person, a disability of a person residing in or intending to reside in that housing after it is sold, rented or made available or a disability of a person associated with that person.

(3)

Refuse to permit, at the expense of a person with a disability, reasonable modifications of existing housing that is occupied, or is to be occupied, by such a person if the modifications may be necessary to afford the person full enjoyment of the housing, except that in the case of rental housing the landlord may, where it is reasonable to do so, condition permission for a modification on the tenant's agreement to restore the interior of the housing to the condition that existed before the modification, other than reasonable wear and tear. The landlord may not increase any customarily required security deposit. Where it is necessary to ensure that funds will be available to pay for the restorations at the end of the tenancy, the landlord may negotiate as part of a restoration agreement a requirement that the tenant pay into an interest-bearing escrow account, over a reasonable period, a reasonable amount of money not to exceed the cost of the restorations. The interest in any such account shall accrue to the benefit of the tenant. If escrowed funds are not used by the landlord for restoration, they shall be returned to the tenant.

(4)

Refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices or services that are associated with the housing when such accommodations may be necessary to afford the person equal opportunity to use and enjoy housing, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the owner of the housing.

If an individual's vision, hearing or mobility is impaired, it is discrimination for a person to refuse to rent or sell housing to the individual, cause the eviction of the individual from housing, require extra compensation from an individual as a condition of continued residence in housing or engage in the harassment of the individual because he or she keeps an animal that is specially trained to lead or assist the individual with impaired vision, hearing or mobility if all of the following apply:

(1)

Upon request, the individual shows to the lessor, seller or representative of the condominium association credentials issued by a school recognized by the State of Wisconsin as accredited to train animals for individuals with impaired vision, hearing or mobility; and

(2)

The individual accepts liability for sanitation with respect to and damage to the premises caused by the animal.

No person may design or construct covered multifamily housing unless it meets the standards specified in § 101.132, Wis. Stats. No person may remodel housing with three or more dwelling units unless the remodeled housing meets the applicable standards contained in § 101.132, Wis. Stats.

In this section, the term "discriminate" means to segregate, separate, exclude or treat a person or class of persons unequally in a manner described in this section because of sex, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, lawful source of income, age or ancestry.