Zillow now displays LGBT non-discrimination laws on homes

Zillow is offering new data on local LGBT legal protections on its home search site.

The data-powered resource will help people see whether for-sale and rental listings are in communities where state and local regulations explicitly protect individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, or Transgender from discrimination, according to a news release from the company.

All property listings on Zillow, including homes on and off market, now include information about the home’s jurisdiction and the local laws in place that protect fair and equal treatment in housing, employment, as well as public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Listings in Boise indicate that the city offers protections in housing, employment and gender accommodations for gender identity and sexual orientation. But listings for other Idaho cities don’t fare as well, with Zillow noting that the state does not offer any of these protections.

“It’s 2020, and yet, unfortunately, in many parts of the United States, LGBTQ+ home shoppers still face housing discrimination,” said Dawn Lyon, Zillow chief corporate relations officer. “That’s why we strongly support federal-level protections as part of the Equality Act. In lieu of federal law and in the spirit of ‘turning on the lights,’ we want to give people the most information possible when buying, renting and financing a home, including which communities provide equal protection under the law for all.”

Currently, only 22 U.S. states and the District of Columbia offer statewide laws explicitly prohibiting housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and those laws can vary significantly by jurisdiction.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled that an existing federal law forbids job discrimination by most employers on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender status. The ruling stated that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provides protection against workplace discrimination on the basis of sex, religion, race, and national origin, among other factors, now also covers sexual orientation and transgender status.

In a press release, Zillow stated: “While the SCOTUS ruling is an important step forward for equal treatment of the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace, explicit housing and lending discrimination protections for LGBT people do not exist at the federal level. Zillow is a proud supporter of the Equality Act, which would add these important protections to federal law, but is still awaiting consideration in the Senate.”

According to the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report, 28% of LGBTQ+ buyers and 29% of LGBTQ+ renters completely agree with the statement “I feel accepted for who I am by those around me where I live,” compared to 51% of cisgender heterosexual buyers, and 40% of cisgender heterosexual renters.