Subdivision 5. Prohibited Acts in Housing and Residential Real Estate
Codified through Bill No. CB-018-2026, adopted May 12, 2026, effective July 24, 2026. Source: Municode, Supplement 2026 Update 2. Editorial notes and legislative history omitted.
Subdivision 5. Prohibited Acts in Housing and Residential Real Estate
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-210 (2026)
Sec. 2-210. Sale or rental of housing; exceptionLinkCopy Citation
(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, sublease, 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 (except as required by State or Federal law), occupation, marital status, political opinion, personal appearance, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, gender identity, immigration status, citizenship status, or source of income;
(2)
Deny any person access to, or membership or participation in, any multiple listing service, real estate brokers' organization, or other service, organization, or facility relating to the business of selling or renting housing, or to discriminate against any person in the terms or conditions of such access, membership, or participation, or in the selling, brokering, or appraisal of residential real estate on account of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age (except as required by State or Federal law), occupation, marital status, political opinion, personal appearance, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, gender identity, immigration status, citizenship status, or source of income;
(3)
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 (except as required by State or Federal law), occupation, marital status, political opinion, personal appearance, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, gender identity, immigration status, citizenship status, or source of income;
(4)
Discriminate in the furnishings of any facilities, repairs, improvements, or services, or in the terms, conditions, privileges, or tenure of occupancy of any person because of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age (except as required by State or Federal law), occupation, marital status, political opinion, personal appearance, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, gender identity, immigration status, citizenship status, or source of income;
(5)
Make, print or publish, or cause to be made, printed or published, any notice, statement, listing or advertisement, or to announce a policy, or use any form of application for purchase, lease, rental, or financing of any housing indicating any preference, limitation, or specification based upon race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, occupation, marital status, political opinion, personal appearance, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, gender identity, immigration status, citizenship status, or source of income;
(6)
Induce or attempt to induce any person to sell or rent or list for sale, rent, lease, or otherwise dispose of any housing or interest in real property by representations regarding the entry or prospective entry into the neighborhood of a person or persons of a particular race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (except as required by State or Federal law), occupation, marital status, political opinion, personal appearance, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, gender identity, immigration status, citizenship status, source of income;
(7)
Discriminate in the sale or rental, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, housing to any buyer or renter because of a disability of:
(A)
The buyer or renter;
(B)
A person residing in, or intending to reside in, the housing after it is sold, rented, or made available; or
(C)
Any person associated with the buyer or renter.
(8)
Discriminate against any person in terms, conditions, or privileges of sale or rental of housing, or in the provisions of services or facilities in connection with such housing, because of a disability of:
(A)
The person; or
(B)
A person residing in, or intending to reside in, the housing after it is so sold, rented, or made available; or
(C)
Any person associated with the person.
(9)
For purposes of Subsections (7) and (8), above, discrimination includes:
(A)
A refusal to permit, at the expense of the person with a disability, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by such person if such modifications may be necessary to afford such person full enjoyment of the premises, except that, in the case of rental, the landlord may, where it is reasonable to do so, condition permission for a modification on the renter agreeing to restore the interior of the premises to the condition that existed before the modification, reasonable wear and tear excepted;
(B)
A refusal to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford such person equal opportunity to use and enjoy housing;
(C)
A failure to design and construct a covered multifamily dwelling in accordance with the Building Code with regard to accessibility by a person with a disability pursuant to the most current revision of the American National Standard for Buildings and Facilities Providing Accessibility and Usability for Physically Handicapped people (commonly cited as ANSI A117.1).
(10)
Discriminate by inquiring about immigration status or citizenship status in connection with the sale, lease, sublease, assignment, or other transfer of a housing unit, unless to comply with a federal or state law or a court order.
(11)
Discriminate by requiring documentation, information, or other proof of immigration status or citizenship status, unless to comply with a federal or state law or a court order.
(12)
Discriminate in the sale, lease, sublease, assignment, or other transfer of a housing unit by requiring proof of immigration status or citizenship status, such as a social security number, without providing an alternative that does not reveal immigration status or citizenship status, such as an individual taxpayer identification number.
(13)
Discriminate by disclosing, reporting, or threatening to disclose or report immigration status or citizenship status to anyone, including an immigration authority, law enforcement agency, or local, state, or federal agency, for the purpose of inducing a person to vacate the housing unit or for the purpose of retaliating against a person for the filing of a claim or complaint.
(14)
Discriminate by evicting a person from a housing unit or by otherwise attempting to obtain possession of a housing unit because of the person's immigration status or citizenship status unless the remedy is sought to comply with a federal or state law or a court order.
(15)
Nothing in this Subsection requires that housing be made available to an individual whose tenancy would constitute a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals or whose tenancy would result in substantial physical damage to the property of others.
(b)
Discrimination based on age or familial status as defined in Section 2-186 shall not be wrongful with regard to housing operated in connection with any retirement or senior citizen home or housing which is:
(1)
Provided under any Federal or State program that the Executive Director determines, as consistent with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is specifically designed and operated to assist elderly persons;
(2)
Intended for, and solely occupied by, persons sixty-two (62) years of age or older; or
(3)
Intended and operated for occupancy by at least one person fifty-five (55) years of age or older per unit, provided that the housing satisfies the requirements of Title 24, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 100:304.
(c)
Discrimination shall not be wrongful with regard to any single-family house sold or rented by an owner if: that such private individual owner does not own more than three such single-family houses at any one time; in the case of the sale of any such single-family house by a private individual owner not residing in such house at the time of such sale or who was not the most recent resident of such house prior to such sale, the exemption granted by this subsection shall apply only with respect to one such sale within any twenty-four month period; and if such bona fide private individual owner does not own any interest in, nor is there owned or reserved on his behalf, under any express or voluntary agreement, title to or any right to all or a portion of the proceeds from the sale or rental of, more than three such single-family houses at any one time.
(d)
Discrimination shall not be wrongful with regard to the leasing of a room(s) or apartment(s) in an owner-occupied dwelling consisting of not more than three (3) rental units except as specified in (a)(5) of this Section.
(e)
No person shall coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of that person having exercised or enjoyed, or on account of that person having aided or encouraged any other person in the exercise or enjoyment of, any right granted or protected by this Division.
(f)
Nothing in this Division shall prohibit a religious organization, association, or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association, or society, from limiting the sale, rental, or occupancy of housing which it owns or operates, for other than commercial purposes, to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such religion is restricted on account of race, color, sex, national origin, age (except as required by State or Federal law), occupation, marital status, political opinion, personal appearance, sexual orientation, disability, familial status, gender identity, immigration status, citizenship status, or source of income. Nor shall anything in this subdivision prohibit a private club not in fact open to the public, which as an incident to its primary purpose or purposes provides lodgings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose, from limiting the rental or occupancy of such lodgings to its members or from giving preference to its members.
(g)
Nothing in this subdivision limits the applicability of any reasonable local, State, or Federal restrictions regarding the maximum number of occupants permitted to occupy a dwelling.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-211 (2026)
Sec. 2-211. Discrimination in Housing and Residential Real Estate-Related TransactionsLinkCopy Citation
(a)
It shall be unlawful for any person or other entity whose business includes engaging in residential real estate-related transactions to discriminate against any person in making available such a transaction, or in the terms or conditions of such a transaction because of discrimination as enumerated in Section 2-210(a)(1). Real estate appraisal, the process used to determine, analyze, or assess the value of real property, is a residential real estate-related transaction under this section.
(b)
No lending institution shall discriminate in lending money, guaranteeing loans, purchasing loans, accepting a deed of trust or mortgage, or otherwise making available funds for the purchase, acquisition, construction, alteration, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of any housing. No lending institution shall discriminate in the fixing of the rates, terms, conditions, or provisions of any such financial assistance or impose different conditions on any such financing, refuse to provide title or other insurance, in the extension of service in connection therewith because of discrimination as enumerated in Section 2-210(a)(1).
(c)
No person shall induce, directly or indirectly, any person to acquire or transfer an interest in real property which is used for the purpose of housing, by any statement regarding the existence or proximity of other real property which is or may become owned, leased, used, or occupied by any person of categories enumerated in Section 2-210(a)(1).
(d)
Nothing contained in this Section shall prohibit any lending institution from basing its actions on the income and financial abilities of any individual.
(e)
Appraisal Exemption—Nothing in this Section prohibits a person engaged in the business of furnishing appraisals of real property to take into consideration factors other than any categories enumerated in Section 2-210(a)(1).
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-211.01 (2026)
Sec. 2-211.01. ReservedLinkCopy Citation
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-212 (2026)
Sec. 2-212. ReservedLinkCopy Citation
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-213 (2026)
Sec. 2-213. ReservedLinkCopy Citation
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-214 (2026)
Sec. 2-214. Discriminatory statements prohibitedLinkCopy Citation
No person shall make, counsel, or cause to be made any false, reckless, or intentionally misleading statements, whether oral or written, about a change in the personal circumstances enumerated in Section 2-210(a)(1) of the occupants of any housing in a community or neighborhood, which statements are made or committed in order to obtain a listing of any real property for sale, rental, assignment, transfer, or other disposition.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-215 (2026)
Sec. 2-215. False or misleading signs or devicesLinkCopy Citation
No person shall place a sign or display any other device which offers for sale, lease, assignment, transfer, or other disposition of any real property used for the purpose of housing, if the sign, display, or device is designed to stimulate the belief that a bona fide offer is being made to sell, lease, assign, transfer, or otherwise dispose of the property, when in fact such property is not being offered for the advertised sale, lease, assignment, or transfer.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-216 (2026)
Sec. 2-216. Maintenance of sale sign after saleLinkCopy Citation
No person shall maintain upon the premises of real property which is used for housing and which has, in fact, been leased, sold, assigned, transferred, or otherwise disposed of, for a period in excess of fourteen (14) days after the execution of any contract or written agreement for the sale, lease, assignment, or transfer thereof, any sign or other display, indicating that the property is still being offered for lease, sale, assignment, or transfer.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-217 (2026)
Sec. 2-217. Enumeration of prohibited discriminatory statementsLinkCopy Citation
(a)
No person, for profit, shall induce, directly or indirectly, the sale or listing for sale of any interest in real property which is used for housing by any statement, either oral or written, that the presence, anticipated presence, ownership, or tenancy of property by persons of the circumstances enumerated in Section 2-210(a)(1) may result in:
(1)
The reduction of property values;
(2)
A future change in the composition of the residents of a neighborhood with respect to circumstances enumerated in Section 2-210(a)(1);
(3)
An increase in criminal or other antisocial behavior in the neighborhood wherein the property is located;
(4)
A decline in quality of schools, churches, business establishments, or any other service provided the neighborhood.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-218 (2026)
Sec. 2-218. Solicitation of real estate dealingsLinkCopy Citation
No person shall solicit the sale or purchase of real estate, as defined by Section 2-186(a)(27), where such soliciting is of residential single-family units, unless such solicitation is limited to random and isolated inquiries not of a systematic design to cover a substantial section of any neighborhood for individual listings of property for sale.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-219 (2026)
Sec. 2-219. Civil action by owner; damages; commencementLinkCopy Citation
(a)
Any owner of a dwelling who is induced to sell his dwelling to a real estate dealer or through a real estate broker or their agents or employees by acts committed by these persons in violation of Section 2-217 or 2-218 may institute a civil action in the Circuit Court against these persons.
(b)
If, in an action instituted pursuant to Subsection (a) of this Section, judgment is rendered in favor of plaintiff, he shall be awarded damages as determined by the courts, reasonable attorney's fees and court costs.
(c)
No action shall be maintained under this Section unless commenced not later than one (1) year from the date of the sale from which liability is alleged to arise.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 2-219.01 (2026)
Sec. 2-219.01. Income requirements; married couplesLinkCopy Citation
It shall be a wrongful practice in Prince George's County for a landlord, in determining whether a married couple meets income requirements, to refuse to consider the income of both spouses.