Sexual Harassment in Housing

Sexual harassment in housing is when a landlord or their employees:

• make unwelcome sexual advances
• demand sex or sexual favors
• repeatedly use words or acts of a sexual nature
• rape or sexually assault you

IT IS ILLEGAL.

The law can apply to all kinds of housing. This includes privately owned houses, apartment buildings, condo associations, public housing, and homeless shelters.

 When the landlord or their employees 

• ask you out on a date
• ask you to trade sex or sexual favors for rent 
• threaten to evict you because you refuse to have sex with them
• won’t make repairs because you won’t have sex or because you tell them to stop
• make sexual comments to you that make you feel threatened or uncomfortable
• touch you in an unwanted sexual way
• rape or sexually assault you
   

It does not matter if you go along with it or refuse. Even if you have gone along with demands for sex in the past, you have the right to stop it now.

• It is illegal for a landlord or landlord’s employees to make you have sex with them by threatening to evict you if you don’t.
   
• It is illegal for a landlord or landlord’s employees to make unwanted sexual comments to you that make you feel intimidated.
   
• If you are being sexually harassed by your landlord or landlord’s employees, tell them to stop.
   
• Write down what happened to you while it is still fresh in your memory. It is important to have written records.
   
• It is illegal for a landlord to evict you because you called the police for help.

You have the right to be free from sexual harassment.

Call your local legal aid office at 877-696-6529.

Look for other programs that may help at www.lawhelpmn.org/providers-and-clinics.

Go to www.LawHelpMN.org for more information about fair housing rights and resources.