The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits the denial of housing to a person based on the person’s membership in one or more of the classes protected under the Act. The federal protected classes are Race, Color, Religion, National Origin, Sex, Familial Status, and Disability. The State of Maryland includes the 3 additional classes of Marital Status, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity. As of 10/1/20, there will be one more: Source of Income.
It is illegal for Owners to discriminate against otherwise qualified applicants who receive housing assistance vouchers in Maryland. Source of Income was previously a protected class in several local jurisdictions, it is now protected statewide.