EQUITY RESIDENTIAL
EQR
Real Estate
2
exclusion reasons
1 theme
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
Equity Residential Properties settled with the DOJ for $770,000 in 2012 over allegations of discriminating against families with children by imposing restrictive lease terms at Chicago-area properties, violating the Fair Housing Act's familial status protections. The familial status case is part of a broader pattern of housing discrimination enforcement actions against the company. In January 2016, Equity Residential settled with the Equal Rights Center, agreeing to survey and remediate accessibility deficiencies across 85 residential properties nationwide. In January 2017, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York filed a separate complaint (United States v. Equity Residential, S.D.N.Y.) alleging the company violated the Fair Housing Act by failing to design and construct 170 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan to be accessible to persons with disabilities. The pattern spans familial status and disability discrimination across multiple properties, jurisdictions, and time periods.
Equity Residential named in DOJ investigation of RealPage algorithmic rent-fixing cartel (2024); coordinated rent increases across major metros harming millions of tenants. Prior $770k DOJ Fair Housing Act settlement (2012) for discriminatory occupancy limits at Chicago-area properties.
Research Sources
4 organizations
Related Exclusions
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A digest of changes to our exclusion list — new additions, removals, and the evidence behind them. We review the list continuously as new evidence surfaces.
Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
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