(KRON) -- San Francisco Bay Area landlords cannot evict, nor discriminate against, renters for being pregnant, giving birth, and having young children, federal officials emphasized this week. On Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department reached a settlement with a former Burlingame landlord who threatened to evict a couple, Yasmin and Waael Abuhijab, after the wife gave birth to two babies. Discrimination based on "familial status" violates the federal Fair Housing Act. A U.S. District Judge ordered the landlord, Melinda Bautista Teruel, to pay the couple $137,500 and banned Teruel from managing any residential rental properties. "Housing providers must always comply with federal civil rights laws," said Ismail Ramsey, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California. Teruel managed a seven-unit apartment complex in Burlingame in which the Abuhijabs resided from 2017 to 2020. Teruel pressured the couple to move into a larger, more expensive apartment as soon as she found out that they were expecting their first child, according to a lawsuit filed in 2023. The couple told their landlord that they could not afford the larger apartment at 1417 Bellevue Avenue. Investigators wrote, "She told them that a one-bedroom apartment is not for families." Teruel told the Abuhijabs that families with children cause more "wear and tear" on apartments and repeatedly pressured them to move from their one-bedroom unit into a larger apartment, the lawsuit alleges. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban officials wrote, "The couple made clear they could not afford it." "When Teruel learned the Abuhijabs were expecting their second child, Teruel threatened to evict the family," investigators wrote. The lawsuit also alleges that Teruel falsely claimed damages in the unit after the couple told Teruel that discrimination against families is illegal. Facing possible eviction, the couple vacated the apartment and filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). San Francisco landlords rented storage units as homes, city attorney says The Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords from making housing unavailable to families with children, making discriminatory statements about them, and harassing tenants because they are pregnant or have young children. HUD determined that Teruel violated the Fair Housing Act and referred the matter to the Justice Department. Teruel recently sold the apartment building to a new owner. United-States-v.-Teruel-Consent-OrderDownload Diane M. Shelley, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, said, "HUD applauds today’s action and remains committed to working with the Department of Justice to enforce our nation’s fair housing laws. We will continue to work with our partners in protecting against harassment and discrimination of families with children."