SHORE HOUSING RESOURCE BOARD

Fair Housing in Everyone's Community

Somerset  ●  Wicomico  ●   Worcester  

Contact Information:

Shore Housing Resource Board

P.O. Box  971

Salisbury, Maryland 21803

1-800-652-6312

 info@shorehousing.org

INFORMATION ON FAIR HOUSING

• What you should know about Fair Housing:

• What you should know when you buy a home:

• What you should know when you sell a home:

• What you should know when you rent a home:

• What you should know when you advertise:

 WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FAIR HOUSING:

 Federal law prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing against anyone   because of Race, Color, Religion, Sex, National Origin, Handicap, or Familial Status.

The Federal law which makes housing discrimination illegal is called the Fair Housing Law.  This law requires people to be treated equally with no differences in terms or conditions of sale, purchase, lease or rental and with no denial of equal housing opportunity.

Maryland State law also prohibits housing discrimination, under the same groups or classes as the Federal law prohibits.

Maryland law prohibits these discrimination practices:

• Refusal to sell, rent or lease

• Discriminatory advertising

• Discriminatory financing

• Discriminatory terms, conditions, requirements

• Discriminatory restrictions in deeds or leases

• Steering:  attempts to steer persons into or away from a neighborhood for discriminatory reasons.

• Refusal to permit reasonable modifications at the expense of the handicapped person.

Maryland real estate brokers and agents can lose their licenses if they are found to use discriminatory practices.

If you feel you have been discriminated against, you may want to contact an agency which investigates housing discrimination complaints.  The Maryland Human Relations Commission will investigate and take appropriate action on housing discrimination complaints made within on e year of the time the discrimination took place.  You can request a form to make a complaint by calling the Human Relations Commission at 1-800-637-6247.

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WHEN YOU BUY:

You have the right to be shown any house or apartment in any location.

You have the right to be given honest information about the price, fees, taxes and other charges related to the housing.

You have the right to take possession of, move into, and peacefully live in the residence of your choice.

You should not ask or expect to be shown homes according to the racial, religious or ethnic characteristics of the neighborhood.  Federal and state laws prohibit placing such restrictions on showing or information about such availability of homes for sale or rent.

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WHEN YOU SELL:

You must make the home being sold available to all persons.  An individual may not sell his home on the basis of racial, religious, or ethnic characteristics of the neighborhood.

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WHEN YOU RENT:

Discrimination in terms of conditions for renting is unlawful.

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WHEN YOU ADVERTISE:

In advertising the property, no reference should be made that shows discriminatory preference or limitation.

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