A. 
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the City of Hagerstown, Maryland, to eliminate discrimination in housing and to provide for fair housing practices throughout the City to all its citizens regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age or physical or mental handicap and to that end to prohibit discriminatory practices with respect to residential houses by any person or group of persons in order that the peace, health, safety, prosperity and general welfare of all the inhabitants of the City may be protected and ensured.
B. 
This article shall be administered and enforced by the Commission.
For the purposes of this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
DISCRIMINATORY HOUSING PRACTICES
An act that is unlawful under this article.
DWELLING
Any building, structure or portion thereof which is occupied as or designed or intended for occupancy as a residence by one or more families and any vacant land which is offered for sale or lease for the construction or location thereon of any such building, structure or portion thereof.
FAMILY
Includes a single individual.
PERSON
Includes one or more individuals, corporations, partnerships, associations, labor organizations, legal representatives, mutual companies, joint-stock companies, trusts, unincorporated organizations, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy, receivers and fiduciaries or any other legal entity.
PHYSICAL OR MENTAL HANDICAP
Any physical disability, infirmity, malformation or disfigurement which is caused by bodily injury, birth defect or illness, including epilepsy, and which shall include but not be limited to any degree of paralysis, amputation, lack of physical coordination, blindness or visual impairment, deafness or hearing impairment, muteness or speech impediment or physical reliance on a Seeing Eye dog, wheelchair or other remedial appliance or device and any mental impairment or deficiency as but not limited to retardation or such other which may have necessitated remedial or special education and related services.
RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS
Any specification limiting the transfer, rental or lease of any dwelling because of race, color, religion, marital status, sex or national origin.
TO RENT
Includes to lease, to sublease, to let or otherwise to grant for a consideration the right to occupy premises not owned by the occupant.
A. 
It shall be an unlawful discriminatory housing practice because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age or physical or mental handicap:
(1) 
For any person having the right to sell, rent, lease, control, construct or manage any dwelling constructed or to be constructed or any agent or employee of such person:
(a) 
To refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, to refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of or otherwise make unavailable or deny a dwelling.
(b) 
To discriminate against any person in the terms, conditions or privileges of sale or rental of a dwelling or in the provision of services or facilities in connection therewith.
(c) 
To make, print or publish or cause to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
(d) 
To represent to any person for reasons of discrimination that any dwelling is not available for inspection, sale or rental when such dwelling is in fact so available.
(e) 
To deny any person access or membership or participation in any multiple-listing service, real estate broker's organization or other service, organization or facility relating to the business of selling or renting dwellings or to discriminate against him in the terms or conditions of such access, membership or participation.
(f) 
To include in any transfer, sale, rental or lease of housing any restrictive covenant that discriminates; or for any person to honor or exercise or attempt to honor or exercise any discriminatory covenant pertaining to housing.
[1] 
Nothing in the provisions of this subsection shall be construed to bar any person from refusing to sell, rent or advertise any dwelling which is planned exclusively for or occupied exclusively by individuals of one sex to any individual of the opposite sex on the basis of sex. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this article, a person may sell, rent or advertise any dwelling to aged or elderly persons only, if the dwelling is planned exclusively for or occupied exclusively by a specified age group.
[2] 
With respect to sex discrimination, nothing herein shall be construed to apply to the rental of rooms within any dwelling in which the owner maintains his or her principal residence or to the rental of any apartment in a dwelling containing not more than five units and in which the owner maintains his or her principal residence.
(2) 
For any person, whether or not acting for monetary gain, knowingly to induce or attempt to induce another person to transfer an interest in real property by representations regarding the existing or potential proximity of real property owned, used or occupied by persons of any particular race, color, religion, marital status, sex or national origin or to represent that such existing or potential proximity will or may result in:
(a) 
The lowering of property values.
(b) 
A change in the racial, religious or ethnic character of the block, neighborhood or area in which the property is located.
(c) 
An increase in criminal or antisocial behavior in the area.
(d) 
A decline in quality of the schools serving the area.
(3) 
For any person, firm, corporation or association to solicit or attempt to solicit the listing of dwellings for sale or lease by door-to-door, in-person or telephone solicitation or by the distribution of circulars if one of the purposes is to change the racial composition of the neighborhood.
B. 
It shall not be mandatory for any owner, manager or person responsible for the care, operation and maintenance of housing, realty or premises to be required to make special provisions for persons making application for housing, other than those now required by the applicable federal, state, county or City ordinances, rules or regulations.