The federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the federal Fair Housing Act Amendments Act of 1988 prohibit discrimination on the basis of the following criteria (called “protected categories”): race or color; religion; national origin; familial status or age—includes families with children under the age of 18 and pregnant women; disability or handicap, or sex.

Prohibited in all states is the refusal to rent because of ethnic background, race, religion, sex, sexual proclivity, age, marital status, or income source. 

Politics and religion are the only things that screw it up.  

Your age should have no bearing on your getting a loan; lenders are prohibited from discriminating  based on age, just as they are on race, religion, etc.

In fact, any time information is shared regarding any of the seven protected classes: race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, and familial status it gets scary quick.  

For example saying “I can see me and my family celebrating Christmas in this home” could violate 2 protected classes: familial status and religion. 

Treating everyone equally means that you would inspect their unit when they fail to maintain it, regardless of race, religion, familial status, color, national origin, etc.

In my area, that includes the following:Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Familial Status, National Origin, Disability, Military Status, Sexual Orientation, Age, Creed, Marital Status, Gender Identity, Source of Income, Immigration and Citizenship StatusBeing 19 y/o, the tenant is feels that this is unfair treatment based on age.

I am not a lawyer, but it's important to be aware of the fair housing laws in your state and the laws that protect applicants from being discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age and other protected identities.

Naturally, avoiding statements directly about race, religion, etc.