Sober living homes and their residents are protected under the Fair Housing Act and Americans with Disabilities Act because substance use disorder counts as a mental health disorder. Landlords who treat them differently than traditional rentals risk discrimination lawsuits.
Sober living homes are fully protected by the Fair Housing act, and everybody inside of the home is protected by both the Fair Housing act, the Americans with Disabilities act, and depending on the state, there might be state level protections as well. Substance use disorder is considered a mental health disorder recognized by states and by our federal government. And so any action to treat a sober living home like anything other than a traditional rental is considered discrimination. So be very careful about how you go about addressing concerns because you don't want to put yourself in the crosshairs of a lawsuit.
