A landlord or rental agent shows you available apartments, but somehow every option is in a neighborhood where people of your race or ethnicity are already concentrated. Meanwhile, a tenant of a different race is shown units in predominantly white areas. This practice, known as steering, is a form of housing discrimination that violates federal civil rights law. It is not an accident. It is a deliberate attempt to maintain racial segregation and limit housing choice. If you have experienced steering, you may have a civil rights liability case against the landlord, property manager, or real estate agent involved.

Steering happens in many ways. A landlord might tell a Black family that a unit in a mostly white building is “already taken” while showing them a unit in a minority-majority building that is still available. A real estate agent might assume a Hispanic renter would be more comfortable in a neighborhood with other Hispanic residents and only show properties there. A property manager might “warning” a prospective tenant about the “character” or “school quality” of a certain neighborhood, knowing those code words signal the tenant does not belong. Even well-intentioned comments like “you would fit in better over there” constitute steering if they are based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability.

The legal basis for prohibiting steering comes from the Fair Housing Act, a federal law passed in 1968 and expanded since then. The law makes it illegal to “make, print, or publish” any statement that indicates a preference or limitation based on protected characteristics. More directly, it prohibits anyone in the housing business from “otherwise making unavailable or denying” a dwelling to any person because of race or other protected traits. Steering falls squarely under that prohibition because it effectively denies a tenant the full range of housing options available to others.

To prove a steering case, you do not need a “smoking gun” confession. Courts often rely on circumstantial evidence. For example, if you are a member of a protected class and you can show that the landlord showed you only units in certain neighborhoods, while similarly situated renters outside your class were shown additional properties, that creates a strong suspicion of discrimination. The landlord then must provide a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason for the difference. If the reason is weak or false, the court will infer discrimination. Testers—individuals of different races who pose as renters—are often used to gather this evidence. If a Black tester and a white tester both inquire about the same apartment and receive different treatment, that is powerful proof.

Steering does not have to be overt. Subtle actions count. A landlord who discourages a tenant from applying for a unit in a particular building by saying “you might not like the neighbors” is steering. A rental agent who omits certain properties from a listing packet based on the tenant’s ethnicity is steering. Even the layout of a property tour—showing certain buildings only to certain groups—can be evidence. The key is whether the tenant’s protected characteristic played a role in limiting the housing choices presented.

What happens if you win a steering case? The law provides for actual damages—money to compensate you for the emotional distress, inconvenience, and any additional costs you incurred. You can also get punitive damages, designed to punish the landlord for intentional discrimination. The court can order an injunction to stop the steering practice. You may also recover attorney’s fees and court costs. In some cases, the government can bring its own lawsuit and seek civil penalties of up to tens of thousands of dollars.

If you suspect you have been steered, act quickly. The Fair Housing Act has a two-year statute of limitations for private lawsuits. Start by documenting everything. Write down exactly what the landlord or agent said, the order in which they showed properties, and the race or other characteristics of the tenants you saw in those buildings. Save any emails, texts, or brochures. Take photos if possible. Then file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or a state fair housing agency. You can also hire a private attorney who specializes in fair housing law. Many attorneys work on a contingency basis, meaning they only get paid if you win.

Steering is not a relic of the past. It happens every day in cities and suburbs across the country. It perpetuates segregation and denies people the freedom to choose where to live based on their own preferences, not someone else’s assumptions. Understanding that steering is illegal and that you have legal recourse is the first step to fighting back. If a landlord tries to put you in a box based on your race or ethnicity, you have the right to break out.