How to File a HUD Housing Discrimination Complaint (2026)

File a HUD Housing Complaint Step-by-Step — Free, no attorney needed, 15 minutes to submit.

To file an FHA housing complaint with HUD, visit hud.gov/fairhousing and click File a complaint. The Department of Housing and Urban Development reviews complaints at no cost. You have up to one year from the alleged violation. Complaints cover disability discrimination — including refusal to accommodate an emotional support animal — and discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or familial status.

When to file a HUD complaint

File when a housing provider may have violated the Fair Housing Act or another civil rights act. Common situations: denial of a reasonable accommodation request (including a documented emotional support animal), pet rent or pet deposits charged on an assistance animal, harassment based on a protected characteristic, refusal to rent, and different terms offered based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, disability, or familial status. The recent date of the alleged violation matters; time limits run from the most recent date a discriminatory act occurred.

Note that the Fair Housing Act covers housing-based ESA accommodations only. The 2021 DOT rule reclassified emotional support animals as pets for air travel, so airline-related complaints belong to DOT’s Aviation Consumer Protection Office rather than HUD. The HUD complaint process here applies to housing.

Step-by-step: how to file a complaint

Gather your contact, the housing address, the landlord’s contact, the alleged violation dates, and documentation. Visit hud.gov and use the File a complaint page or call 1-800-669-9777. Complete the form, which seeks housing assistance details and a narrative of the housing discrimination. Submit. HUD’s investigator will follow up to assist with questions.

What HUD does after you submit

HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity logs the complaint and notifies the housing provider. An investigator interviews both sides. Investigations run six months to a year. If HUD finds reasonable cause to believe a violation occurred under the Fair Housing Act or another civil rights act, the case may go to conciliation or be referred to DOJ.

State and local fair housing agencies

HUD often refers civil rights complaints to a state or local fair housing agency operating under a substantially equivalent standard. You can file directly with the state agency instead. Filing locally does not waive federal rights.

What you can recover

Successful FHA complaints recover actual damages, emotional-distress damages, civil penalties up to $25,597 for first violations, attorney’s fees in litigation, and injunctive relief.

An attorney is optional

You can resolve a HUD complaint without an attorney. If the case escalates to litigation, options include legal aid clinics, fair housing organizations, and private attorneys handling cases on contingency.

Summary — what to remember

Common questions about fha housing complaint hud

Does filing a HUD complaint cost anything?

No. Filing a HUD housing discrimination complaint is free.

How long do I have to file after the discrimination?

Generally one year from the date of the violation. Filing earlier is better — evidence is fresher. Some state and local agencies have shorter deadlines.

What evidence should I include with my complaint?

Include written communications with the landlord (emails, texts, letters), your ESA letter if the case involves an emotional support animal, the lease, any photos or videos of the housing or harassment, and dates of every relevant incident. HUD will request additional documentation during the investigation.

Can I file a complaint anonymously?

No. HUD must identify the complainant to investigate.

What if my landlord retaliates?

Retaliation for filing a fair housing complaint is itself a violation of the Fair Housing Act. File a second complaint immediately.

Do I need to contact the landlord first?

It helps. A written accommodation request that the landlord refuses creates a clear paper trail. But you do not legally have to attempt resolution before filing with HUD.

Sources

Written by USAR Editorial Team · Last reviewed:

USAR follows a strict editorial process: every guide is fact-checked against primary federal statutes and reviewed quarterly. We have no financial relationships with letter providers, training schools, or registries.