In order for a housing facility or community to qualify as housing for older persons under § 100.304, at least 80 percent of its occupied units must be occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older.

For purposes of this subpart, occupied unit means:

A dwelling unit that is actually occupied by one or more persons on the date that the exemption is claimed; or

A temporarily vacant unit, if the primary occupant has resided in the unit during the past year and intends to return on a periodic basis.

For purposes of this subpart, occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older means that on the date the exemption for housing designed for persons who are 55 years of age or older is claimed:

At least one occupant of the dwelling unit is 55 years of age or older; or

If the dwelling unit is temporarily vacant, at least one of the occupants immediately prior to the date on which the unit was temporarily vacated was 55 years of age or older.

Newly constructed housing for first occupancy after March 12, 1989 need not comply with the requirements of this section until at least 25 percent of the units are occupied. For purposes of this section, newly constructed housing includes a facility or community that has been wholly unoccupied for at least 90 days prior to re-occupancy due to renovation or rehabilitation.

Housing satisfies the requirements of this section even though:

On September 13, 1988, under 80 percent of the occupied units in the housing facility or community were occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older, provided that at least 80 percent of the units occupied by new occupants after September 13, 1988 are occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older.

There are unoccupied units, provided that at least 80 percent of the occupied units are occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older.

There are units occupied by employees of the housing facility or community (and family members residing in the same unit) who are under 55 years of age, provided the employees perform substantial duties related to the management or maintenance of the facility or community.

There are units occupied by persons who are necessary to provide a reasonable accommodation to disabled residents as required by § 100.204 and who are under the age of 55.

For a period expiring one year from the effective date of this final regulation, there are insufficient units occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older, but the housing facility or community, at the time the exemption is asserted:

Has reserved all unoccupied units for occupancy by at least one person 55 years of age or older until at least 80 percent of the units are occupied by at least one person who is 55 years of age or older; and

Meets the requirements of §§ 100.304, 100.306, and 100.307.

For purposes of the transition provision described in § 100.305(e)(5), a housing facility or community may not evict, refuse to renew leases, or otherwise penalize families with children who reside in the facility or community in order to achieve occupancy of at least 80 percent of the occupied units by at least one person 55 years of age or older.

Where application of the 80 percent rule results in a fraction of a unit, that unit shall be considered to be included in the units that must be occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older.

Each housing facility or community may determine the age restriction, if any, for units that are not occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older, so long as the housing facility or community complies with the provisions of § 100.306.