State legislature passes anti-renter discrimination bills

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A set of bills that lawmakers say will address renter discrimination passed the Michigan House of Representatives last week to match bills previously passed by the Senate.

These bills address renter discrimination based on the renter’s source of income; as well as as discrimination based on religion, race and several other categories.

These bills were given immediate effect.

House Bill 4062 and Senate Bills 205 and 206

House Bill 4062 and Senate Bills 205 and 206 amend Act 348 of 1972 , also known as the Landlord-Tenant Act, to make it illegal for landlords who own five or more rental units in the state to discriminate against current or prospective tenants based on their source of income.

Landlords are still allowed to require a certain income in order to rent a unit, but they can’t specify the source of said income–for example, they can’t discriminate because part of that income is from Social Security or vouchers.

“Housing is a basic necessity. Denying someone the right to shelter because they receive veterans benefits, child care, or state assistance is unfair. Michiganders deserve respect, and these bills ensure dignity and civility in the housing market,” said Rep. Jennifer Conlin (D-48), who sponsored the bill.

These landlords can no longer use a tenant’s source of income as a basis for:

• Denying or terminating housing
• Denying someone a rental unit or making it unavailable to them
• Attempting to discourage someone from renting or leasing from them
• Falsely representing to someone that a unit is not available for inspection, rental, or lease
• Knowingly failing to bring a listing to someone’s attention
• Refusing to allow someone to inspect a rental unit
• Altering the price, terms, fees, or privileges related to their tenancy
  • Doing so due to their use of emergency rental assistance

Additionally, landlords that require tenants to have a certain amount of income can not exclude income in the form of a rent voucher or subsidy from the calculations that determine whether or not a tenant reaches the threshold.

Landlords also can not publicly indicate a preference, limitations, or requirements based on an individual’s source of income.

The measures also prohibit landlords from intimidating tenants into not exercising the rights granted to them under the law, either directly or indirectly.

These measures do not apply to landlords with fewer than five rental units.

House Bill 4063 and Senate Bill 207

The other measures, House Bill 4063 and Senate Bill 207 would amend the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act to protect sources of income from housing discrimination under the same terms as previously protected categories.

“This legislation will ensure that every person has equal access to housing in our state. We are removing barriers families face in finding a safe place to live,” said Rep. Jason Morgan (D-23). “Veterans, seniors, and hardworking Michiganders should know that their basic right to housing is protected in our great state.”

Article 5 of the Act prohibits discrimination in real estate transactions based on the following:

• Religion
• Race
• Color
• National origin
• Age
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity/expression
• Familial status
• Marital status

These bills also do not apply to landlords with fewer than five rental properties in the state.

Additionally, House Bill 4063 and Senate Bill 207 do not apply under the following situations:

• Housing rental in a duplex if the owner or the owner’s immediate family lives in one of the accommodations
• The rental of a room or rooms in a single-family dwelling if the owner or the owner’s immediate family also resides in the dwelling
• Housing rental for up to 12 months if the owner lived in the housing for at least three months immediately before occupancy by the tenant and is maintained as the owner’s legal residence

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