What can I do if my landlord is discriminating against subletters based on their sex, gender and/or marital status?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

What can I do if my landlord is discriminating against subletters based on their sex, gender and/or marital status?

I am renting 2 rooms from my landlord and need to terminate the written lease 3 months early. The landlord agreed provided I find a subletter. However, he has been discriminating against potential candidates based on their sex/gender and marital status. He has been refusing good candidates with steady jobs/income based on these markers. What can I do in this situation? What can I do if I do not find the subletter he’s looking for? Also, I paid last month rent and a security deposit upon signing the lease. Does my last month count for the last month I live there or the last month on the lease?

Asked on April 16, 2017 under Real Estate Law, Massachusetts

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 7 years ago | Contributor

1) The last month rent is last month of the lease, not last month you live there.
2) It is illegal (e.g. under the Fair Housing Act) to disriminate on the basis of sex or family status. If the landlord persists in doing this, you may wish to contact your state's Commission Against Discrimination to file a complaint.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption