Hunting for the perfect apartment when you are single can be tough enough, but if you have an entire family to look out for, it can seem like mission impossible. Most jurisdictions cannot legally discriminate against you if you have small children, but the truth is that landlords actually do this because they think that your kids will cause excess damage to their property or that they will be so noisy that other tenants will want to move out. Here are a few tips you can follow to help reduce the chances that you will be discriminated against.

If you can, go with professional management companies instead of individuals, that way, if you feel that you were discriminated against, you have a large company you can sue instead of an individual. When you deal with a large company like this, there is less of a chance you will run into institutionalized discrimination that is actually done on purpose compared to one misguided landlord discriminating on his own.

Some apartment complexes specifically advertise towards families instead of to singles or childless couples. Keep an eye out in your community or in your newspaper for ads that are targeting families. While most apartment complexes offer studios or one bedroom, there are two and three bedroom units out there and the only people who are going to fill them up are families.

The Internet can be your friend when it comes to avoiding discrimination. Most apartment hunting websites have consumer feedback options that allow people to rank and rant about various complexes. You can know before you go if the people you are going to be dealing with are worth your time or not. If you see a pattern of discrimination, check to see if someone has filed a lawsuit since you might be able to get in on it if you feel that you have become a victim, as well.