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Annual Report

Rights of Tenants in Maine: Discrimination

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CONTENTS

Introduction: How to Use This Online Handbook

Tips To Know Before You Rent	Sale of Your Building
Types of Rental Agreements	Discrimination
Security Deposits	Electric Charges for Common Areas
Rent-	Cable TV/Dishes and Antennas
-General Assistance	Landlord Entering Your Home
-Rent Increases	Subsidized Housing
Unsafe or Unfit Housing	Mobile Home Parks-
Evictions-	-Park Rules
-Notice or Warning	-Mobile Home Park Evictions
-Court Hearing	-Unsafe or Unfit Conditions
-Defenses	-Sale of Your Mobile Home
Abandoned Property	-Sale of Mobile Home Park

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Discrimination

Click here to get a printer-friendly .pdf pamphlet version.  If you need help, click here.

Landlords may not discriminate against you because of your:

• race
• color
• sex
• sexual orientation
• physical or mental impairment
• religion
• ancestry or national origin
• getting welfare
• being a single parent, being pregnant or having children

This means that a landlord cannot refuse to rent to you, charge you extra, or evict you for any of these reasons.

Note: The state law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation went into effect on December 28, 2005. This new law also protects trans-gendered people. And it prohibits discrimination based on another person’s belief that you are gay or trans-gendered, even if you are not.

If you think your landlord has illegally discriminated against you, contact Pine Tree Legal or one of these offices:

Maine Human Rights Commission
51 State House Station
Augusta, Maine 04333-0051
phone: 624-6050    TTY: 1-888-577-6690

U.S. Fair Housing Office (HUD)
10 Causeway Street, Room 321
Boston, MA 02222-1092
phone: 1-617-994-8300 or toll free: 1-800-827-5005
TTY: 1-617-565-5453

Pine Tree Legal has more information about how a landlord must treat you fairly if you have a mental or physical impairment. You can get that information from our offices, or visit our Fair Housing for People with Disabilities page.

Read more about Fair Housing. We offer this information in several languages.

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Notice © Pine Tree Legal  Assistance March 2006 Sometimes the laws change. We cannot promise that this information is always up-to-date and correct.  If the date above is not this year, call us to see if there is an update. We provide this information as a public service.  It is not legal advice.  By sending you this information, we are not acting as your lawyer.  Always consult a lawyer, if you can, before taking legal action. Please review our full terms-of-use agreement

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