TAMPA - A Florida real estate company discriminates against Black tenants when seeking renters for its rental properties, according to a March 20 lawsuit from a fair housing advocate in Tampa federal court.
Plaintiff Delroy Chambers Jr. is described in his lawsuit as "a fair housing tester and advocate dedicated to advancing the rights of those historically discriminated against." Chambers responded to an advertisement from defendant Doyle and McGrath Real Estate LLC for a rental property in Tampa.
According to the suit, the ad listed a clean criminal record as a requirement for becoming a tenant. Chambers says the defendant discriminates against prospective Black renters because the application process is halted if the applicant discloses an arrest, regardless of conviction or judgment.
The plaintiff says that Black people are arrested at a disproportionate rate to other races throughout Florida and Hillsborough County; as a result, he accuses Doyle and McGrath of discriminating against people who may have been arrested, but not convicted or found guilty, in their application process.
The defendant is charged with violation of the Fair Housing Act. Chambers is represented by the Social Justice Law Collective PL of Dunedin.