Opinion ID: 2442682
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: state and county fair housing acts

Text: Maryland Code, State Government Article § 20-705, entitled Discriminatory housing practices-Sale or rental of dwelling, provides in pertinent part: Except as provided in §§ 20-703 and 20-704 of this subtitle, a person may not: (1) refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, or national origin; (2) discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions, or privileges of the sale or rental of a dwelling, or in the provision of services or facilities in connection with the sale or rental of a dwelling, because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, or national origin; . . . Md.Code (1984, 2009 Repl.Vol.), State Gov't Art. § 20-705. The prohibition against discriminatory housing practices extends to local governments, which may enact housing-related ordinances so long as the ordinance does not authorize any act that would be a discriminatory housing practice under this subtitle. Md.Code, State Gov't Art. § 20-703(4). Thus, Prince George's County Code § 2-210, entitled Sale or rental of housing; exception, provides in pertinent part: (a) No person, whether acting for monetary gain or not, shall: (1) Refuse to sell, lease, sublease, rent, assign, or otherwise transfer; or refuse to negotiate for the sale, lease, rental, assignment or other transfer of the title, leasehold, or other interest in any housing; or represent that housing is not available for inspection, sale, lease, sublease, rental, assignment, or other transfer when in fact it is so available; or otherwise make housing unavailable, deny, or withhold any housing from any person because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, occupation, marital status, political opinion, personal appearance, sexual orientation, physical or mental handicap, or familial status;    (2) Include in the terms, conditions, or privileges of any sale, lease, sublease, rental, assignment, or other transfer of any housing, any clause, condition, or restriction discriminating against any person in the use or occupancy of such housing because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, occupation, marital status, political opinion, personal appearance, sexual orientation, physical or mental handicap, or familial status; Prince George's County Code (2003 & Supp. 2005) § 2-210(a). According to Appellants, the Ordinance's text and legislative history demonstrate that it was enacted for the discriminatory purpose of removing renters, particularly student renters, from residential neighborhoods in the City and segregating them from homeowners because the City believes that renters are undesirable neighbors. On this basis, Appellants contend that the Ordinance violates the State and County Fair Housing Acts by discriminating in housing on the basis of age, occupation, marital status, or familial status. We disagree. By its very terms, the classification employed by the Ordinance distinguishes between rental units in traditional single-family neighborhoods and rental units in apartment buildings, among other types of excepted properties. On its face, the Ordinance does not discriminate in violation of the State or County Fair Housing Acts because it does not distinguish impermissibly between groups based on some characteristic of the group. Although it is true that the Ordinance may impact students more than any other demographic of renters due to the fact that most renters in the City are students at the University of Maryland, this alone cannot form a basis to conclude that the Ordinance discriminates facially on the basis of age, occupation, marital status, or familial status. As noted by the Circuit Court, people of every age, occupation, marital status, and familial status will be affected in the same manner if they live in rental housing in single-family neighborhoods. Thus, we conclude that the Ordinance on its face does not violate the State or County Fair Housing Acts.