Fair Housing

Every year, Maryland REALTORS^® works to create an up-to-date guide on Fair Housing reulations at the federal, state, and local levels to be a valuable resource for educating agents and their clients. We encourage you to use this tool to promote fair housing for everyone.

If you feel that you've been discriminated against, you may file a complaint with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights.

FILE A COMPLAINT

Fair Housing Protections

Under the Fair Housing Act, it is against the law to engage in the following based on one’s identification, or perceived identification as a member of a protected class:

• Refuse to rent or sell you housing
• Indicate that housing is unavailable when in fact it is available
• Show you apartments or homes in certain neighborhoods only
• Advertise housing to preferred groups of people only
• Refuse to provide you with information regarding mortgage loans, deny you a mortgage loan, or impose different terms and conditions on a mortgage loan
• Deny you property insurance
• Conduct property appraisals in a discriminatory manner
• Refuse to make certain modifications or accommodations for persons with mental or physical disability, including persons recovering from alcohol and substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS-related illnesses
• Fail to design and construct housing in an accessible manner
• Harass, coerce, intimidate, or interfere with anyone exercising or assisting someone else with their fair housing rights

 

Protected Classes and Their Definitions

* (Applicable to Maryland jurisdictions, updated September 2024)

Federal:

Color: Pertaining to a person’s skin color.

Familial Status: Families in which one or more children under 18 live with: a parent; a person who has legal custody of the child or children; or the designee of the parent or legal custodian, with the parent or custodian's written permission. Familial status protection also applies to pregnant women and anyone securing legal custody of a child under 18.

National Origin: Refers to the geographic area in which a person was born, or from where their ancestors came.

Physical or Mental Disability: In reference to you or someone close to you who: has a physical or mental disability (such as hearing, mobility, and visual impairments, including use of a guide dog; drug addiction and alcoholism, mental illness, intellectual or developmental disability, HIV or AIDS, or cancer) that substantially limits one or more major life activities; has a record of such a disability; or is regarded as having such a disability.

Race: Categories of physical characteristics and/or genetic groupings of human populations.

Religion: Participation with one of the world’s structured religions; one’s spiritual beliefs; inference of religion by place of worship.

Sex: (i.e., gender): Sexual orientation or gender identity per Presidential Feb 11, 2021 Exec. Order - see respective definitions.

Maryland: Includes all federal protections listed above PLUS:

Marital Status: The state of being single, married, separated, divorced, or widowed.

Race: The State of Maryland has expanded the definition of “race” to include traits associated with race including hair texture, afro hairstyles, and protective hairstyles (including braids, twists, and other hairstyles).

Sexual Orientation: TA component of identity that includes a person’s sexual and emotional attraction to another person and the behavior and/or social affiliation that may result from this attraction.

Gender Identity: the gender-related identity, appearance, expression, or behavior of a person, regardless of the person’s assigned sex at birth, which may be demonstrated by:

1. Consistent and uniform assertion of the person’s gender identity.
2. Any other evidence that the gender identity is sincerely held as part of the person’s core identity.

Source of Income: Any lawful source of money that is paid to or for the benefit of a renter or buyer of housing and includes grants, government assistance, alimony, child support, pensions, annuities, legal gifts, or investment earnings.

Military Status: A current member of the uniformed service, reserves, or their dependents. Effective 10/01/24.

Local/Counties: Includes all federal and state protections listed above PLUS:

View the Fair Housing Brochure to learn which counties have the following fair housing protections.

Age: Generally referring to adults 18 yrs & over. (Baltimore City, Cambridge, Hagerstown, Rockville; Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Caroline, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties)

Ancestry: Line of decent. (Baltimore City, Cambridge, Rockville; Anne Arundel and Montgomery Counties)

Citizenship: a person’s actual or perceived immigration status. (Annapolis; Anne Arundel, Howard, and Prince George's Counties)

Creed: A person’s beliefs; also, a summary of principals or opinions to which someone professes or adheres. (Cambridge; Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, Howard, and Montgomery Counties)

Ethnic Origin: Cultural upbringing, including ceremonies and traditions. (Rockville)

Family Responsibility: Refers to decisions based on an assumption of a person’s care giving responsibilities, either childcare or care of another family member. (Montgomery County)

Genetics: Traits that are determined by genes or genetic mutations. (Rockville and College Park)

Lawful Income: See ‘Source of Income’.

Occupation: The principal lawful activity of one's life, generally including students, welfare recipients, and retired persons. (Anne Arundel, Harford, Howard, and Prince George’s Counties) 

Personal Appearance: The outward appearance of any person, irrespective of sex, with regard to hair style, facial hair, physical characteristics or manner of dress. (Harford, Howard, and Prince George’s Counties)

Political Opinion: The opinion of persons relating to government, the conduct of government, political parties, candidates for election or elected office-holders. (Harford, Howard, and Prince George’s Counties)

Presence of Children: Households that include the temporary custody or permanent occupancy of persons under the age of 18 years. (Rockville and Montgomery County)

Military Veteran: A person who is a former member of the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves, or Maryland National Guard. (Rockville and Baltimore County)