Code of Maryland Regulations
Title 14 - INDEPENDENT AGENCIES
Subtitle 03 - COMMISSION ON HUMAN RELATIONS
Chapter 14.03.04 - Fair Housing Regulations
Section 14.03.04.05 - Unlawful Practices Specifically
Universal Citation: MD Code Reg 14.03.04.05
Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 19, September 20, 2024
A. Discriminatory Advertisements, Statements, and Notices.
(1) The prohibitions in this
section shall apply to all written or oral notices or statements by a person
engaged in the sale or rental of a dwelling.
(2) Written notices and statements include
any applications, flyers, brochures, deeds, signs, banners, posters,
billboards, or any other documents used with respect to the sale or rental of a
dwelling.
(3) Discriminatory
notices, statements, and advertisements include, but are not limited to:
(a) Using words, phrases, photographs,
illustrations, symbols, or forms which convey that dwellings are available or
not available to a particular group of individuals because of race, color,
religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status, national origin,
and sexual orientation;
(b)
Expressing to agents, brokers, employees, prospective sellers or renters, or
other persons a preference for or limitation on any purchaser or renter because
of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status,
national origin, and sexual orientation;
(c) Selecting, because of race, color,
religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status, national origin, or
sexual orientation, media or locations for advertising the sale or rental of
dwellings which deny particular segments of the housing market information
about housing opportunities; or
(d)
Refusing to publish advertising for the sale or rental of dwellings or
requiring different charges or terms for advertising because of race, color,
religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status, national origin,
and sexual orientation.
B. Discriminatory Representations on the Availability of Dwellings. Prohibited actions under this section of this regulation include, but are not limited to:
(1) Indicating through words or conduct that
a dwelling which is available for inspection, sale, or rental has been sold or
rented, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status,
marital status, national origin, or sexual orientation;
(2) Representing that covenants or other
deed, trust, or lease provisions which purport to restrict the sale or rental
of dwellings because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial
status, marital status, national origin, or sexual orientation preclude the
sale or rental of a dwelling to a person;
(3) Enforcing covenants or other deed, trust,
or lease provisions which preclude the sale or rental to a person because of
race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status,
national origin, or sexual orientation;
(4) Limiting information, by word or conduct,
regarding suitably priced dwellings available for inspection, sale, or rental
because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital
status, national origin, or sexual orientation; or
(5) Providing false or inaccurate information
regarding the availability of a dwelling for sale or rental to an individual,
including testers, regardless of whether the individual is actually seeking
housing, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status,
marital status, national origin, or sexual orientation.
C. Blockbusting.
(1) In establishing a discriminatory housing
practice under this section, it is not necessary that there was in fact profit
as long as profit was a factor for engaging in the blockbusting
activity.
(2) Prohibited actions
under this section include, but are not limited to:
(a) Engaging, for profit, in conduct
(including uninvited solicitations for listings) which conveys to a person that
a neighborhood is undergoing or is about to undergo change in the race, color,
religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status, national origin, or
sexual orientation of persons residing in it, in order to encourage the person
to offer a dwelling for sale or rental; or
(b) Encouraging, for profit, a person to sell
or rent a dwelling through assertions that the entry or prospective entry of
individuals of a particular race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial
status, marital status, national origin, or sexual orientation, can or will
result in undesirable consequences for the project, neighborhood, or community,
such as lowering of property values, an increase in criminal or antisocial
behavior, or decline in the quality of schools or other services or
facilities.
D. Discrimination in the Provision of Brokerage Services. Prohibited actions under this section include, but are not limited to:
(1) Setting different fees for
access to or membership in a multiple listing service because of race, color,
religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status, national origin, or
sexual orientation;
(2) Denying or
limiting benefits accruing to members in a real estate broker's organization
because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital
status, national origin, or sexual orientation;
(3) Imposing different standards or criteria
for membership in a real estate sales or rental organization because of race,
color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, marital status, national
origin, or sexual orientation; or
(4) Establishing geographic boundaries,
office locations, or residence requirements for access to membership or
participation in a multiple listing service, real estate broker's organization
or other service, organization or facility relating to the business of selling
or renting dwellings, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability,
familial status, marital status, national origin, or sexual
orientation.
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