Maryland Landlords Can’t Deny Tenants Based on Income Source
Maryland Supreme Court Rules Landlords Cannot Deny Tenants Based On Housing Vouchers
Maryland’s Supreme Court delivered a major victory for fair housing advocates Monday, ruling that landlords cannot reject rental applicants solely based on their source of income, including government-funded housing vouchers.
The case, Katrina Hare v. David S. Brown Enterprises, centered on the application of the 2020 state law known as the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act, which bans housing discrimination based on income source. The law aims to protect low-income residents who rely on vouchers to cover all or part of their rent.
In the ruling, the court determined that David S. Brown Enterprises violated the law when it denied Katrina Hare’s rental application, despite her having a federal housing voucher that covered nearly all of the rent.
Hare had applied to rent an apartment with a monthly rent of $1,590. Her voucher covered $1,464, leaving her with only $126 in out-of-pocket costs. She also received $841 monthly in Supplemental Security Income (SSI). However, Brown Enterprises required applicants to earn at least 2.5 times the full rent, combining her voucher and SSI income and finding she didn’t meet the income threshold.
Hare argued that her income should have been evaluated based on her personal rent obligation, just $126, not the full cost of the unit. The court agreed, siding with her and stating that the property management company improperly calculated her financial eligibility.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown praised the decision, calling it a win for vulnerable residents.
“The Supreme Court’s decision will open up housing opportunities for thousands of Maryland families, seniors, and people with disabilities,” Brown said. “Landlords across the state have long used similar policies, creating unnecessary and illegal barriers that limit where voucher holders can live.”
More than 200,000 people in over 101,000 Maryland households currently rely on federal housing vouchers, with thousands more supported by state programs. The ruling is expected to have a significant impact across the state, reshaping how landlords evaluate prospective tenants and reinforcing protections for low-income renters.
