My notes for West Virginia state portion
January 16, 2025
Overview renting Rules for investors
January 24, 2025The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as legal or regulatory advice. For accurate and comprehensive details, please consult a qualified professional or contact the appropriate government organization to obtain official guidance on the process.
The author of these notes makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents and specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
The table provided contains some information about additional protected classes for fair housing purposes across different states. While it may not be comprehensive it gives you ball park estimate idea about the same.
Please refer to HUD website for the federal housing regulations on fair hosing. Thanks
| State or Territory | Additional Protected Classes above federal law |
| Alabama | No additional10 |
| Alaska | Marital status, changes in marital status, age, pregnancy, parenthood11 |
| Arizona | No additional 12 |
| Arkansas | No additional13 |
| California | Source of income, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military/veteran’s status, citizenship, gender identity, arbitrary characteristics14 |
| Colorado | Ancestry, creed, marital status, sexual orientation (including gender identity), source of income, veteran or military status15 |
| Connecticut | Lawful source of income, gender identity and expression, age, marital status, civil union status, veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence, erased criminal history record information16 |
| Delaware | Creed, marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income17 |
| Florida | Pregnancy18 |
| Georgia | No additional 19 |
| Hawaii | Age, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Expression, HIV Status, Marital Status20 |
| Idaho | No additional21 |
| Illinois | Ancestry, age (40 and over), order of protection status, marital status, sexual orientation (including gender-related identity), military status, unfavorable military discharge, pregnancy, arrest record, source of income22 |
| Indiana | Ancestry23 |
| Iowa | Creed, Gender Identity, Marital Status, Mental Disability, Sexual Orientation24 |
| Kansas | Ancestry, age, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity21 |
| Kentucky | Age21 |
| Louisiana | Age, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income21 |
| Maine | Sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, protection from retaliation for asserting rights under the Maine Human Rights Act25 |
| Maryland | Marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income26 |
| Massachusetts | Sexual orientation, Gender identity, Age, Marital status, Veteran or active military status, Genetic information, Source of income (e.g., Section 8 voucher)27 |
| Michigan | Age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, height, weight28 |
| Minnesota | Creed, sexual or affectional orientation, marital status, receipt of public assistance, gender identity, ancestry (Minneapolis and Saint Paul)29 |
| Mississippi | No additional21 |
| Missouri | No additional30 |
| Montana | Creed, marital status, age31 |
| Nebraska | No additional21 |
| Nevada | Sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ancestry, age21 |
| New Hampshire | Age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity32 |
| New Jersey | Creed, gender identity or expression, marital or civil union status, affectional or sexual orientation, ancestry, nationality, domestic partner status, source of lawful income used for mortgage or rental payments.33 |
| New Mexico | Ancestry, sexual orientation, spousal affiliation, gender identity34 |
| New York | Creed, age, marital status, military status, domestic violence survivor status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, source of income, lawful source of income, immigration status, citizenship35 |
| North Carolina | Discrimination in the siting of affordable housing36 |
| North Dakota | Age (40 years or older), marital status, receipt of public assistance, status as a victim of domestic violence in certain circumstances37 |
| Ohio | Ancestry, Military Status38 |
| Oklahoma | Age39 |
| Oregon | Marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of income, survivors of domestic violence40 |
| Pennsylvania | Age, ancestry, and use of guide or support animals due to blindness, deafness, or physical handicap, or because the user is a handler or trainer of such animals.41 |
| Rhode Island | Gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, sexual orientation, lawful source of income, housing status, age, status as a victim of domestic abuse42 |
| South Carolina | Age, marital status, creed 43 |
| South Dakota | Ancestry, Creed 44 |
| Tennessee | No additional 45 |
| Texas | No additional 46 |
| Utah | Source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity 47 |
| Vermont | Marital status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, receipt of public assistance, victims of abuse, sexual assault, or stalking 48 |
| Virginia | Elderliness, source of funds, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status 49 |
| Washington | Marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military/veteran status 50 |
| West Virginia |
Ancestry; Blindness 51 Unlike Federal fair housing laws -West Virginia fair housing laws don't allow an exemption based on familial status for housing for older persons, so it's not legal to discriminate against individuals based on familial status in senior housing |
| Wisconsin | Ancestry, age, sexual orientation, marital status, lawful source of income, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking 52 |
| Wyoming | No additional 21 |
It's important to note that the specific protections can vary significantly from state to state. Real estate professionals should familiarize themselves with the fair housing laws in their specific state to ensure compliance and avoid discrimination.
Citations:
[1] https://aruljohn.com/usstates/
[2] https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/list-of-states-in-usa/
[3] https://usa.usembassy.de/travel-states.htm
[4] https://www.jagranjosh.com/general-knowledge/list-of-states-in-usa-1663078166-1
[5] https://copy.camp/alphabetical-list-of-50-us-states-and-territories/
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_states_and_territories_of_the_United_States
[7] https://www.dhs.gov/archive/current-status-states-territories
[8] https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/united-states-territories
[9] https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What-are-the-USPS-abbreviations-for-U-S-states-and-territories
[10] https://apmalabama.com/fair-housing-act-alabama
[11] https://www.fairhousingalaska.org/know-your-rights/
[12] https://www.paramountpmr.com/blog/fair-housing-act-az
[13] https://proxpropertybentonville.com/arkansas-fair-housing-act
[14] https://www.pennyrealty.com/blog/California-fair-housing-act
[15] https://ccrd.colorado.gov/housing-discrimination
[16] https://www.ctrealtors.com/Customer-Content/www/CMS/files/Legal/Fair-Housing-Notice-CTR-fillableAR.pdf
[17] https://www.declasi.org/fair-housing/
[18] https://cflpropmanagement.com/florida-fair-housing-act/
[19] https://drewsellsga.com/georgia-fair-housing-act
[20] https://www8.honolulu.gov/dcs/dcs-cbdd-fair-housing-who-is-protected/
[21] https://nomadlease.com/blog/fair-housing-protected-classes-by-state
[22] https://dhr.illinois.gov/filing-a-charge/faq-section-vi.html
[23] https://www.threaltyinc.com/what-landlords-need-to-know-about-indianapolis-fair-housing-laws/
[24] https://icrc.iowa.gov/your-rights/protected-classes
[25] https://www.ptla.org/fair-housing-your-right-rent-or-own-home
[26] https://mckennavanepm.com/maryland-fair-housing-act
[27] https://study.com/academy/lesson/massachusetts-fair-housing-laws.html
[28] https://www.compass101.com/michigan-fair-housing-act
[29] https://www.housinglink.org/HousingResources/FairHousing
[30] https://www.steadily.com/blog/tenant-rights-in-missouri-navigating-the-show-me-states-rental-laws
[31] https://greatfallsmt.net/finance/fair-housing
[32] https://fairhousing-nh.org
[33] https://www.thearcfamilyinstitute.org/file_download/inline/7eac38c7-d2c1-4aea-8c2c-5f9fa0da69fb
[34] https://lascruces.gov/property/housing-resources/fair-housing/
[35] https://columbiagreenerealtors.com/anti-discrimination-and-fair-housing-in-new-york/
[36] https://www.fairhousingnc.org/know-your-rights/
[37] https://fargond.gov/city-government/departments/planning-development/community-development-neighborhoods/housing/fair-housing
[38] https://thehousingcenter.org/housing-resources/fair-housing-overview/
[39] https://www.steadily.com/blog/things-landlords-cannot-do-in-oklahoma
[40] https://www.oregon.gov/boli/civil-rights/pages/fair-housing.aspx
[41] https://dced.pa.gov/download/c-section-iii-affirmative-furthering-fair-housing/?wpdmdl=78470
[42] https://nribr.realtor/fair-housing-diversity/
[43] https://www.hemlane.com/resources/south-carolina-tenant-landlord-law/
[44] https://www.siouxfalls.gov/government/departments/human-relations/discrimination-harassment
[45] https://specializedpropertymanagementmemphis.com/tennessee-fair-housing-act/
[46] https://specializedpropertymanagementhouston.com/texas-fair-housing-act/
[47] https://utahhousingcorp.org/pdf/Utah_Fair_Housing_FHA_training.pdf
[48] https://www.burlingtonvt.gov/773/Fair-Housing
[49] https://www.abramsrent.com/blog/virginia-fair-housing-act
[50] https://tenantsunion.org/rights/understanding-fair-housing-laws
[51] http://nwvcil.org/fair-housing/
[52] https://www.tenantresourcecenter.org/fair_housing_laws
