You were using the rent/mortgage is no more than 35% of net income rule as the basis for not showing the unit?
If so, I agree it is not racism to ensure the new tenant has the financial stability to pay the rent consistently. That is just good business practice.
As I understand the rules, it could have been racism if you had shown the rental units to whites/other races that had exactly the same incomes you listed.
“You were using the rent/mortgage is no more than 35% of net income rule as the basis for not showing the unit?”
More or less, yes.
Actually, I misspoke; Blank (blank, not Black, sheesh!) apps were sitting on top of a kitchen counter where people who were interested in renting could look and decide to apply or not based upon whether they liked it or not.
So, it wasn’t a matter of “showing” the place; anyone who physically picked up an app “saw” it.
So, where could the (illegal) discrimination come in? One could accuse a landlord who used the enquire > submit app > look sequence if they refused Shaneequa. One could accuse a landlord who used my sequence enquire > visit > submit app of turning down an unacceptable skin color.
This being America, there is no shortage of opportunity for one to be discriminated against.
I would not rent to someone whose rental was 70% of their pay. That’s asking for trouble.