Political Discrimination in Renting: A 50-State Survey of Fair Housing Laws

Stephen Mortellaro, 12/5/2018

The following is a survey of classes protected from discrimination by the fair housing laws at the federal level, in each of the 50 states, and in the District of Columbia. Citations to the relevant statutory provisions are also provided.

As this survey shows, neither federal law nor any of the 50 states’ fair housing acts protect renters from discrimination on the basis of political affiliation, political expression, or political beliefs. However, the District of Columbia protects renters from discrimination on the basis of political affiliation.

Federal
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or handicap
42 U.S. Code § 3602

Alabama
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or handicap
Ala. Code § 24-8-4

Alaska
Race, color, religion, sex, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, national origin, or physical or mental disability
Alaska Stat. § 18.80.240

Arizona
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin
Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 41-1491.14

Arkansas
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability
Ark. Code § 16-123-204

California
Race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, national origin, ancestry, source of income, disability, or genetic information
Cal. Gov’t Code § 12955

Colorado
Race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, national origin, ancestry, or disability
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 24-34-502

Connecticut
Race, creed, color, sex, gender identity or expression, familial status, marital status, national origin, ancestry, learning disability, physical or mental disability, age, lawful source of income, or status as a veteran.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-64c

Delaware
Race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status, marital status, national origin, disability, age, or source of income.
Del. Code tit. 6, § 4603

District of Columbia
Race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial status, marital status, family responsibilities, national origin, disability, matriculation, age, personal appearance, source of income, status as a victim of an intrafamily offense, place of residence or business, or political affiliation
D.C. Code § 2-1402.21

Florida
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or handicap
Fla. Stat. § 760.23

Georgia
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability
Ga. Code § 8-3-202

Hawaii
Race, color, religion, sex, including gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, ancestry, disability, age, or human immunodeficiency virus infection
Haw. Rev. Stat. § 515-3

Idaho
Race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age
Idaho Code § 67-5909

Illinois
Race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, order of protection status, military status, or unfavorable discharge from military service
775 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/1-103(Q); 775 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/3-102

Indiana
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability
Ind. Code § 22-9.5-5-1

Iowa
Race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status, national origin, or disability
Iowa Code § 216.8

Kansas
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, ancestry, or disability
Kan. Stat. § 44-1016

Kentucky
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 344.360

Louisiana
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability
La. Stat. § 51:2606

Maine
Race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, familial status, national origin, ancestry, or physical or mental disability.
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4581; Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, § 4581-A

Maryland
Race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status, marital status, national origin, or disability
Md. Code, State Government § 20-705

Massachusetts
Race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, which shall not include persons whose sexual orientation involves minor children as the sex object, age, genetic information, ancestry, or marital status, veteran status or membership in the armed forces, blindness, hearing impairment, or because such person possesses a trained dog guide as a consequence of blindness or hearing impairment or other handicap of such person or persons
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 151B, § 4

Michigan
Religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, familial status, or marital status of a person or a person residing with that person
Mich. Comp. Laws § 37.2502

Minnesota
Race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, disability, sexual orientation, or familial status
Minn. Stat. § 363A.09

Mississippi
None

Missouri
Race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, or familial status
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 213.010(6)

Montana
Sex, marital status, race, creed, religion, age, familial status, physical or mental disability, color, or national origin
Mont. Code § 49-2-305

Nebraska
Race, color, religion, national origin, familial status, sex, or handicap
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 20-318

Nevada
Race, religious creed, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, familial status or sex
Nev. Rev. Stat. § 118.100

New Hampshire
Age, sex, gender identity, race, color, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, religion or national origin
N.H. Rev. Stat. § 354-A:10

New Jersey
Race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, familial status, disability, liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States, nationality, sex, gender identity or expression or source of lawful income used for rental or mortgage payments
N.J. Stat. § 10:5-4

New Mexico
Race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, spousal affiliation or physical or mental handicap, provided that the physical or mental handicap is unrelated to a person’s ability to acquire or rent and maintain particular real property or housing accommodation
N.M. Stat. § 28-1-7(G)

New York
Age, race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, marital status, or disability.
N.Y. Exec. Law § 291

North Carolina
Race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicapping condition, or familial status
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 41A-4.

North Dakota
race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, familial status, national origin, or status with respect to marriage or public assistance
N.D. Cent. Code § 14-02.5-02

Ohio
Race, color, religion, sex, military status, familial status, ancestry, disability, or national origin
Ohio Rev. Code § 4112.02

Oklahoma
Race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, familial status, or disability
Okla. Stat. tit. 25, § 1452

Oregon
Race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, familial status or source of income
Or. Rev. Stat. § 659A.421

Pennsylvania
Race, color, familial status, age, religious creed, ancestry, sex, national origin, or handicap or disability
43 Pa. Stat. § 955

Rhode Island
Race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military status as a veteran with an honorable discharge or an honorable or general administrative discharge, servicemember in the armed forces, country of ancestral origin or disability, age, familial status, status as a victim of domestic violence, or having a positive result on an HIV test
R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-37-4; 23 R.I. Gen. Laws § 23-6.3-11

South Carolina
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or handicap
S.C. Code § 31-21-40

South Dakota
Race, color, creed, religion, sex, ancestry, disability, familial status, or national origin
S.D. Codified Laws § 20-13-20

Tennessee
Race, color, creed, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin
Tenn. Code § 4-21-601

Texas
Race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, or disability
Tex. Prop. Code § 301.021; Tex. Prop. Code § 301.025

Utah
Race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, source of income, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity
Utah Code § 57-21-5

Vermont
Race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, religious creed, color, national origin, or disability of a person, or because a person intends to occupy a dwelling with one or more minor children, or because a person is a recipient of public assistance
Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4503

Virginia
Race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status, or handicap
Va. Code § 36-96.3

Washington
Sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, families with children status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability
Wash. Rev. Code § 49.60.222

West Virginia
Race, color, religion, ancestry, sex, familial status, blindness, disability or national origin
W. Va. Code § 5-11A-5

Wisconsin
Sex, race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, family status, status as a victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking, lawful source of income, age, or ancestry
Wis. Stat. § 106.50

Wyoming
Race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin
Wyo. Stat. § 40-26-103