Final answer:
A rental application can be legitimately rejected due to a previous eviction, but not on the basis of discriminatory factors like age, national origin, or marital status. Discrimination in the housing market is well-documented, particularly against individuals with ethnic names or minority status.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under fair housing laws, a person's rental application can be legitimately rejected based on their prior eviction history. This is because a previous eviction can be indicative of issues such as non-payment of rent or property damage, which are legitimate concerns for landlords. However, rejecting an application based on age, national origin, or marital status would be considered illegal discrimination. The Fair Housing Act in the United States protects individuals from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap.
Significant evidence shows that discrimination continues to exist in the housing market, with studies revealing a bias against certain groups based on ethnic names or racial identifiers. This discrimination is not just limited to long-term rentals but also short-term rentals like Airbnb.
Legitimate reasons for rejecting a rental application should be based on objective criteria that relate directly to the responsibilities of tenancy, rather than subjective biases or discriminatory practices.