They Can’t Do That

There are law against discrimination against trans people in housing both federally and local ordinances in New York City, but that doesn’t stop them from discriminating.

Doors often closed to transgender tenants searching for housing
Any protection against discrimination is patchwork at best, underscoring need for federal bill
Al Jazeera America
By Yana Paskova
September 25, 2015

So she was understandably nervous this summer when the lease for her studio apartment in Queens went up for renewal under a new owner.
[…]
Her first landlord, in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint, went out of his way to make her uneasy and to deny her assertions of femininity, she said. Eyeing her longer hair and face made up with cosmetics, he constantly yelled at her from his first-floor apartment, using slurs like “faggot” or “gay boy.” After a few months, she moved.

Now, she said, her current landlord told her she couldn’t renew her lease unless she presented ID — such as a driver’s license or passport — that stated her female name and listed her gender as female.
But according to legal aid it is not legal from them to ask her for ID as a female.
But according to several housing advocates, the requirements placed on Ramirez by her landlord are unlawful.

“This is absolutely illegal,” said Eugene Chen, a staff attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group. “This highlights the sort of discrimination people who are transgender face. These things happen to transgender people every day, on every level.”

It is not only illegal in New York City but also under the Fair Housing Act.

It takes courage to bring a complaint against a landlord because many fear being blackballed because most of the time when you go to rent an apartment they want references from previous landlords.

Even when transgender people are guarded by law, many do not know what their rights are or are afraid to pursue them.
“Sometimes," said Chen, “people just don’t have the energy and resources to litigate a discrimination claim when they’re worried about getting a roof over their heads.”

So what can you do?

On a federal level you can contact HUD to file a complaint. HUD has ruled that gender identity discrimination falls under sex discrimination,

Federal law prohibits housing discrimination based on your race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. If you have been trying to buy or rent a home or apartment and you believe your civil rights have been violated, you can file your fair housing complaint online by clicking the Housing Discrimination Complaint  button below.  Your housing discrimination complaint will be reviewed by a fair housing specialist to determine if it alleges acts that might violate the Fair Housing Act. The specialist will contact you for any additional information needed to complete this review. If your complaint involves a possible violation of the Fair Housing Act, the specialist will assist you in filing an official housing discrimination complaint.

Here in Connecticut you can contact the CT Fair Housing Center, they can bring a law suit on your behave so you are not a party to suit and are not named in the legal action. They can also do stings where they can send a trans person and a non-trans person to check the complaint of discrimination. If you live in another state there are most likely housing advocates in your state.