New York — Human Rights & Fair Housing — New York Real Estate — State Law Practice Test

This New York Real Estate — State Law New York — Human Rights & Fair Housing practice set has 16 practice questions based on the official exam materials, each with an instant explanation.

Sample questions

Three questions from the New York — Human Rights & Fair Housing bank with the correct answer and an explanation. The practice quiz above draws 16 questions at random from the same bank.

1. Under New York's Human Rights Law (Exec. Law §296), a landlord refuses to rent an apartment to an applicant solely because the applicant intends to pay rent with a Section 8 housing voucher. Is this lawful?

   • No — refusing a Section 8 voucher is unlawful 'source of income' discrimination under §296 — Correct answer
   • Yes — source of income is not protected anywhere, so a landlord may reject vouchers
   • Yes — landlords may always require that rent be paid only from employment wages
   • Yes — Section 8 is a voluntary program, so refusing it never violates any law

   Explanation: No. New York's §296 protects 'lawful source of income,' which expressly includes federal, state and local housing assistance such as a Section 8 voucher — so refusing to rent because the rent will be paid with a voucher is unlawful housing discrimination. The federal Fair Housing Act does NOT list source of income, so this is part of the broader protection NY adds. Lawful source of income（合法收入来源）: income from lawful sources including Section 8 vouchers, Social Security, child support, and public assistance — a NY protected class. Exec. Law §296.

   Handbook: New York Fair Housing — lawful source of income / Section 8 (Exec. Law §296)

2. Which protected characteristic is covered by New York's Human Rights Law (Exec. Law §296) but is NOT one of the seven classes protected under the federal Fair Housing Act?

   • Marital status — Correct answer
   • Race
   • National origin
   • Disability

   Explanation: New York's §296 adds classes the federal FHA's seven (race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, disability) do not include — among them marital status, age, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, lawful source of income, and status as a victim of domestic violence. Marital status is one of those NY-only additions. Protected class（受保护类别）: a characteristic on which housing discrimination is illegal. Exec. Law §296.

   Handbook: New York Fair Housing — protected classes broader than federal (Exec. Law §296)

3. A New York landlord tells a prospective tenant, 'I won't rent to you because you have an active order of protection — you're clearly a domestic-violence situation.' Under Exec. Law §296, this refusal is:

   • Unlawful — victim of domestic violence is a protected class under §296 — Correct answer
   • Lawful — only the federal FHA seven classes apply to housing in New York
   • Lawful — orders of protection make a tenant a liability the landlord may avoid
   • Lawful — domestic-violence status is only protected in employment, not housing

   Explanation: Unlawful. New York added 'status as a victim of domestic violence' as a protected class under §296 — a landlord may not refuse to rent, or set different terms, because the applicant is a victim of domestic violence. This is another protection beyond the federal FHA. Victim of domestic violence（家庭暴力受害者）: a NY-specific protected class added to §296; housing may not be denied on this basis. Exec. Law §296.

   Handbook: New York Fair Housing — victim of domestic violence protected class (Exec. Law §296)