Dear so-and-so,
I am writing to verify that I have just submitted a rental application through your online system. I’m applying to be a tenant at (address here.)
I am requesting that my application be processed in accordance with fair housing source of income discrimination laws in (city or state here). These laws can be found here: (link to laws here).
I want to make it clear in my application that:
🔸I meet all of the criteria listed in your rental criteria policy, which makes me eligible to be approved as a tenant at your property. (Note: if you don’t meet all of the criteria, you can still list the criteria you do meet, and there may be other laws that will also help you for the areas where you have problems. See links below.)
🔸I have a housing choice voucher, which makes me eligible for protection under the source of income discrimination laws
🔸The property is currently available for rent. Just before submitting my application I contacted your office and confirmed that the property is still available for rental.
In processing my application, please ensure that all fair housing laws are followed. I am specifically requesting:
🔹Please make sure that my rent total is correctly entered into your system using the formula for voucher holders. The process for calculating rent/income ratio is different for a voucher holder. You can find a description and chart of the process here: https://equalrightscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/erc-soi-faq-sheet.pdf
🔹 Please ensure that your screening process accurately reflects that my income is more than 3x rent. As a voucher holder, my tenant portion of the rent is $x per month. My income from disability is $x per month. This is more than 3x.
🔹 I am enclosing a copy of my current housing contract to verify that my tenant portion of rent is $x dollars per month.
🔹 As mentioned above, I meet all of the other criteria listed in your tenant selection policy, including (quote everything in their policy that you meet. if there are criteria you do not meet, see links below.)
The fair housing source of income anti-discrimination laws in this area are being enforced by (agency here). If you have further questions, you may wish to contact them.
I am very happy to submit this application and looking forward to living on your beautiful property. Please let me know if there is any more information I can provide.
Many thanks,
Lilac Flowers
More Tools That Can Help
If you have problems with background checks, here are some strategies that might help:
If you don’t have a copy of the tenant selection policy, or you don’t know what this is:
How Tenant Selection Policies Work
If you don’t have income that is 3X rent, or you don’t know what this means:
How I Got Around Landlord Requirements for Income 3x Rent
Here’s some current cases you can use to help advocate for yourself:
- Overturning poor credit or low income denial (page 240)
- Overturning low income denials
- Landlord Must Accept Voucher
If the rent is too high:
How to Request a Higher Voucher (Exception to Payment Standard)
Read lilac’s full story:
How I Got Every Landlord in Town to Accept My Voucher
How to Get On 