Fair Housing: Maryland

This page is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute, and should not be construed as, legal advice. This page is not intended to provide a mandatory standard of care for the industry. Please consult with local counsel before taking any action based off of the information provided. 

On these pages, you will find information about 1) the protected classes in each state’s fair housing law, 2) protected classes in the cities and counties in the state’s three largest city or metropolitan areas, and 3) protected class information in additional jurisdictions of interest to NAA members. We highlight source of income protections, where applicable, that could substantially impact industry operations. Please see the footnotes. NAA also has resources on the federal fair housing protections that apply nationwide.

We are currently in the process of optimizing NAA’s Fair Housing Protected Class Resources. If you do not see a jurisdiction of interest, please reach out to the NAA Government Affairs Team at [email protected].

Information on this page is current as of September 2022.

Maryland Protected Classes

(State of Maryland Code Annotated § 20-701 et. seq)

  • Race

  • Color

  • National Origin

  • Religion

  • Sex

  • Familial Status

  • Disability

  • Gender Identity

  • Marital Status

  • Sexual Orientation

  • Source of Income1

1Source of Income means income from an occupation, any government or private assistance, any gift, annuity, pension, child support, alimony or other benefit, and the sale or pledge of, or interest in, property.

This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.

(Anne Arundel County Code §§ 1-9-101 et seq.)​

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age
  • Ancestry
  • Citizenship Status
  • Creed
  • Gender Expression
  • Occupation

Annapolis Protected Classes

(Annapolis Municipal Code §§ 11.32.010 et. seq)

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Citizenship/Immigration Status
  • Source of Income2

Odenton Protected Classes

Odenton is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County

2Source of income means any lawful verifiable source of money paid directly or indirectly to a renter or buyer of a housing unit, including:1.Income received through any lawful profession or occupation;2.Federal, state, or local government assistance, including Section 8 housing choice vouchers, medical assistance subsidies, rental assistance, and rent supplements;3.Any inheritance, pension, annuity, alimony, child support, trust, or investment accounts;4.Any gift verified by a letter or other means but, unless it is recurring throughout a tenancy, the gift may support one-time expenses only, such as a security deposit or pet fee; and5.Any sale or pledge of property if the sale or pledge will result in proceeds inuring to the recipient's benefit within sixty days of the application to rent a housing unit, purchase a housing unit, or purchase an interest in a housing unit.

PLEASE NOTE: Source of income is protected in Anne Arundel County, but is defined with different language than the at the state level

This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.

(Baltimore County Code § 29-2-101 through 104)​

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age
  • Creed
  • Gender Expression
  • Veteran Status

Nottingham Protected Classes

Nottingham is a census-designated place of Baltimore County

Owings Mill Protected Classes

Owings Mill is a census-designated place of Baltimore County

Pikesville Protected Classes

Pikesville is a census-designated place of Baltimore County

Towson Protected Classes

Towson is a census-designated place of Baltimore County

This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.

(Harford County Code § 95-4)​

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age
  • Ancestry
  • Creed
  • Occupation
  • Personal Appearance
  • Political Opinion

Abingdon Protected Classes

Abingdon is a census-designated place of Harford County

Belcamp (Riverside) Protected Classes

Belcamp (Riverside) is a census-designated place of Harford County

This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.

(Howard County Code §§ 12.207-12.207[C])​

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age
  • Creed
  • Gender Expression
  • Occupation
  • Political Affiliation
  • Personal Appearance

Columbia Protected Classes

Columbia is a census-designated place of Howard County

Elkridge Protected Classes

Elkridge is a census-designated place of Howard County

Ellicott City Protected Classes

Ellicott City is a census-designated place of Howard County

(City of Baltimore Municipal Code § 3-5 [page 19])​

The City of Baltimore is an independent City.

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age
  • Ancestry
  • Gender Expression

This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.

(Fredrick County Code § 1-2-93)​

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age

City of Frederick Protected Classes

(City of Frederick Municipal Code Appx. F - Housing Discrimination)

This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal, state, and county protected classes.

This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.

(Montgomery County Code § 27-12)​

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age
  • Ancestry

Gaithersburg Protected Classes

(Gaithersburg Municipal Code)

This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal, state, and county protected classes

Bethesda Protected Classes

Bethesda is a census-designated place in Montgomery County 

Germantown Protected Classes

Germantown is a census-designated place in Montgomery County 

North Bethesda Protected Classes

North Bethesda is a census-designated place in Montgomery County 

Rockville Protected Classes

(Rockville Municipal Code §§ 11-1; 11-2; 11-16)

In addition to enforcement of federal, state, and county protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age
  • Ancestry
  • Ethnicity
  • Gender Expression
  • Genetics
  • Pregnancy
  • Veteran Status

Silver Spring Protected Classes

Silver Spring is a census-designated place in Montgomery County 

Wheaton Protected Classes

Wheaton is a census-designated place in Montgomery County 

This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.

(Cecil County Code)

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

Elkton Protected Classes

(Elkton Municipal Code)

This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal, state, and county protected classes

This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.

(Wicomico County Code)

This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal and state protected classes

Salisbury Protected Classes

(Salisbury Municipal Code § 15.26.045)

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Criminal history

This section includes relevant county and city information. Note there could be differences or overlap in the laws’ housing provider obligations.

(Prince George's County Code § 2-210)

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age
  • Citizenship/Immigration Status
  • Occupation
  • Personal Appearance
  • Political Opinion
  • Source of Income3

Bowie Protected Classes

(Bowie Municipal Code)

This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal, state, and county protected classes

Capitol Heights Protected Classes

(Capitol Heights Municipal Code)

This jurisdiction emphasizes enforcement of federal, state, and county protected classes

College Park Protected Classes

(College Park Municipal Code Charter § C1-2)

In addition to enforcement of federal and state protected classes, this jurisdiction also includes the following protected classes:

  • Age
  • Ancestry
  • Ethnicity
  • Genetics
  • Political Affiliation

Largo Protected Classes

Largo is a census-designated place within Prince George's County

3Source of Income means any lawful verifiable source of money paid directly or indirectly to a renter or a buyer of a housing unit, including:(A)Income received through any lawful profession or occupation, including but not limited to, bank statement, official government issued letters, pay stub or letter from an employer;(B)Federal, state, or local government assistance including housing vouchers, medical assistance subsidies, rental assistance, and rent supplements as issued under the United States Housing Act of 1937;(C)Any inheritance, pension, annuity, alimony, child support, trust, or investment accounts;(D)Any gift verified by a letter or other means but, unless it is recurring throughout a tenancy, the gift may support one-time expenses only, such as a security deposit or pet fee; and(E)Any sale or pledge of property if the sale or pledge will result in proceeds inuring to the recipient's benefit within sixty days of the application to rent a housing unit, purchase a housing unit, or purchase an interest in a housing unit.