The U.S. Department of Justice has obtained a record $2.725 million settlement against Los Angeles apartment owners for alleged rental discrimination.  In a lawsuit brought in August 2006, the Justice Department claimed that Donald T. Sterling and others engaged in discriminatory practices, such as refusing to rent to African-Americans, Hispanics, and families with children, refusing to rent to non-Koreans in Koreatown buildings, misrepresenting the availability of rental units, and preparing internal reports of tenants’ racial profiles.

Under the name of Beverly Hills Properties, the defendants in this lawsuit own and manage about 119 apartment buildings containing over 5,000 apartment units in Los Angeles County.  Their agreement to pay $2.725 million is the largest monetary settlement the Justice Department has ever obtained for rental housing discrimination.  The bulk of the money will be placed in a fund to pay tenants harmed by the defendants’ discriminatory practices.  The defendants must also take certain measures to ensure non-discriminatory practices, such as obtain fair housing training and monitor their employees’ compliance with fair housing laws over the next three years.  For more information, the Justice Department’s press release is available at http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2009/November/09-crt-1187.html.