A Maryland landlord owns a three-unit building in Baltimore City and lives in one unit. He has never used a real estate agent and does not publish any advertisements. He verbally tells a prospective tenant that he will not rent to her because she receives child support payments as part of her income. The tenant files a complaint with the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights. Which of the following most accurately describes the landlord's legal exposure?
Correct Answer
B) The landlord is in violation because child support income qualifies as a lawful source of income, and Maryland's source of income protection applies even to landlords who would otherwise qualify for the owner-occupant exemption.
This is an expert-level question testing the intersection of two Maryland-specific rules. First, 'source of income' under the Maryland Fair Housing Act, Md. Code Ann., State Gov't § 20-701 et seq., is broadly defined to include any lawful source of income — including child support, alimony, Social Security, housing vouchers, and other lawful payments. It is not limited to government subsidies. Second, and critically, Maryland's owner-occupant exemption does NOT permit discrimination based on the state's additional protected classes, including source of income. Even a landlord who meets every structural criterion for the owner-occupant exemption (owner-occupied, four or fewer units, no broker, no discriminatory advertising) cannot use that exemption to refuse a tenant based on source of income. The exemption has explicit limits under Maryland law.
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Related Topics & Key Terms
Key Terms:
Related Concepts
Market allocation is an illegal antitrust practice in which competing real estate brokerages agree to divide markets among themselves by geographic area, property type, or price range, thereby eliminating competition.
Price fixing is an illegal antitrust practice in which competing real estate brokerages agree to charge the same commission rates, fees, or other pricing for their services. It is a per se violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
Florida brokers are required to maintain transaction records and escrow records for a minimum of five years.
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