Housing Discrimination
The Massachusetts anti-discrimination laws protect you if you are treated differently or unfairly based on your membership in a protected class by your landlord or condo association, and when you are seeking new housing.
Massachusetts Protected Classes in Housing:
- Age
- Children or Marital Status
- Disability
- Housing Subsidies or Rental Assistance
- National Origin
- Race/Ancestry
- Religion
- Sex or Gender Identity
- Sexual Orientation
- Source of Income
- Veteran Status
As a property owner, landlord, property manager, mortgage lender and/or real estate agent, it is illegal to do the following based on membership in a protected class:
- Refuse to rent or sell or negotiate housing.
- Represent a dwelling as unavailable when it is actually available. This is a discriminatory practice called "steering."
- Providing different lease or sale terms or privileges to different people.
- Setting different conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a property.
- Denying access to or membership in a facility or service related to the sale or rental of housing.
- Imposing different rates and terms on a loan.
- Refusing to make a mortgage loan.
- Discrimination in appraising property.
- Making discriminating inquiries.
If you think you have been a victim of housing discrimination contact:
