Per capita charges are “per person” fees that require larger households to pay more for housing than a household without children (e.g. $750 for two people and $50 for each additional occupant up to six). Per capita charges more readily affect families with children since, in the typical case, differences in the number of individuals in a household are related to the number of children in the family.
Per capita charges may not be arbitrary and must be based on actual increased costs that are directly related to additional occupants. For example, if the property owner pays the water bill, it may be reasonable to apply an additional small charge for additional occupants if there is documentation of the actual increase in water usage and associated cost that is due to each additional occupant. Any per capita fees that cannot be justified by specific costs incurred by the housing provider may be considered different terms and conditions with a discriminatory effect on families with children.
If you live in Philadelphia, Southeast Pennsylvania or the Lehigh Valley and have questions about familial status discrimination in housing, contact info@equalhousing.org, 866-540-FAIR or contact us.
