What is the “Keating Memorandum”?

It was 1991 and HUD General Counsel Frank Keating stated in an internal memorandum that the occupancy standard of two persons per bedroom would be considered reasonable under the Fair Housing Act.

So why is this important? Occupancy limits are a tricky thing and many people violate them by not understanding the scope of how and what to do.

I will not elaborate much on this because of its complexity but will tell you there is a difference in having an occupancy limit of 2 and it’s roommates versus a mother and her child. Many people violate familial status by not knowing the difference.

Keep in mind that some local jurisdictions have their own adopted occupancy standards. For instance, I know of one area where they restrict roommates that don’t have the last name.

When in doubt about how many occupants you can nor cannot have in a property I’d suggest talking to a professional that works in that area in the leasing and management of properties.

I’d also suggest you do some night time reading about fair housing as well so you can be a much better landlord and know the basics of what you can’t do.