Skip to main content
City of Madison
  • Accounts
    • All Accounts
    • My Account
    • ePayments
    • Water Customer Care
    • Employment
    • Licenses & Permits
  • Services
  • Jobs
  • Agencies
    • All Agencies
    • Assessor's Office
    • Attorney's Office
    • Building Inspection
    • Civil Rights
    • Clerk's Office
    • Common Council
    • Community Development
    • Development Services Center
    • Economic Development
    • Employee Assistance Program
    • Engineering
    • Finance
    • Fire
    • Fleet Service
    • Golf
    • Goodman Pool
    • Housing Authority
    • Human Resources
    • Information Technology
    • Madison City Channel
    • Madison Public Library
    • Madison Senior Center
    • Mayor's Office
    • Metro Transit
    • Monona Terrace
    • Municipal Court
    • Office of Business Resources
    • Office of Real Estate Services
    • Olbrich Botanical Gardens
    • Parking Utility
    • Parks
    • Planning
    • Planning, Community & Economic Development
    • Police
    • Public Health Madison & Dane County
    • Public Works
    • Streets & Recycling
    • Traffic Engineering
    • Transportation
    • Treasurer's Office
    • Warner Park Community Recreation Center
    • Water Utility
  • Data
  • Contact
    • Mayor
    • City Council
    • City Staff & Agencies

Search form

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

  • City Services
  • Public Health
  • Get Alerts
  • Español
  • Hmoob
City of Madison Civil Rights logo, copyright City of Madison

Civil Rights

  • Norman D. Davis, Director
  • Home
  • File a Complaint
  • Know Your Rights
  • Programs
  • Find Help
  • Contract Compliance
  • Contact
  1. City of Madison
  2. Civil Rights
  3. Know Your Rights
  4. Fair Housing

Fair Housing

apartment building

The City of Madison has an interest and investment in housing. Fair housing laws protect your rights when renting or purchasing housing.

It is illegal for anyone to threaten, coerce, intimidate, or interfere with anyone exercising a fair housing right . It is also illegal to discriminate in advertising housing or real estate.

Sales & Rentals

In the sale and rental of housing, it is illegal to:

  • refuse to rent, sell, or negotiate for housing
  • persuade owners to sell or rent for profit.
  • deny access to (or membership in) a facility or service (such as a multiple listing service) related to the sale or rental of housing.
  • refuse to allow reasonable modifications to accommodate a disability.
  • say that housing is not available for inspection, sale, or rental when it is.

Mortgage Lending

In mortgage lending, it is illegal to:

  • refuse to make a loan or provide information about loans
  • impose different terms and conditions on a loan, such as different interest rates, points or fees
  • discriminate in property appraisal.

If you are experiencing housing discrimination please click here: https://www.cityofmadison.com/civil-rights/find-help

More information

  • Tenants' Rights & Responsibilities
  • Housing Providers' Rights & Responsibilities
  • Landlord Tenant Resource Center
  • Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

Know Your Rights

  • Arrest & Conviction Record Discrimination
  • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
    • Finding More Information
  • Disability Rights
  • Fair Housing
    • Housing Providers' Rights & Responsibilities
    • Tenants' Rights & Responsibilities
  • Hate Crimes
    • Alix Olson Award
    • Seeking Tolerance and Justice Over Hate
      • Related Information
  • Racial Equity & Social Justice
  • State and Federal Laws

Civil Rights

City County Building
210 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Room 523
Madison, WI 53703
  • Hours:
    Monday - Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
  • Phone: (608) 266-4910
  • Fax: (608) 266-6514
  • dcr@cityofmadison.com
  • WI Relay Service

About Our Department

  • Mission & Vision
  • Awards
  • Partners

Services

  • Assistive Communication
  • File an Affirmative Action Plan
  • File a Discrimination Complaint
  • Request a Training

Stay Informed

  • Civil Rights Facebook
  • Civil Rights Twitter
  • Contracting Disparity Study Email List

All Social Media »

City of Madison, Wisconsin logo, copyright City of Madison

Our Madison – Inclusive, Innovative, & Thriving

Copyright © 1995 - 2021 City of Madison, WI
  • Contact Webmaster
  • Accessibility
  • Web Policies
2019 Winner of the Digital Cities Survey by the Center for Digital Government