Cohousing-L Mailing List: Rental company involvement

[Melanie Mindlin (sassetta]

Hi all,
We have an odd situation in our small community where there is one home that 
was sold to someone who didn’t really understand that they were moving into a 
Cohousing community. This was due to deliberate blocking of information flow by 
the real estate agent(s). Now, a few years later, this person listed the home 
for rent with a rental agency.  The home has been rented to someone who had no 
contact with the community ahead of time.

When the owner was asked about this situation, he replied that the Rental 
Agency told him it was illegal for them to tell prospective renters anything 
about our community. They gave the renter a copy of our CC&R’s (which does not 
include the By Laws or Rules and Regulations, both official documents of the 
community). This person has now arrived in our community and said that she 
asked the agency if the home was part of the Cohousing Community and was told 
NO. 

While we will, of course, be friendly and accommodating, I find it difficult to 
believe that it is illegal for a rental agency to tell prospective renters 
about the community, that we would like to meet them ahead of time and/or share 
more of our information.  I plan to contact them on behalf of our community 
since the owner is not interested in pursuing it. Does anyone have information 
on this issue to share so I can enter into a conversation well informed?

I assume that this is some interpretation they are making of Fair Housing Law.

Thanks,
Melanie