Ashland — Ch. 20 Human Relations § 20-29
Limitations
Operative Text
Nothing in this article shall require an owner to offer property to the public at large before selling or renting it, providing he complies with all other provisions of this article. Nor shall this article be deemed to prohibit owners from giving preference to prospective tenants or buyers for any reason other than race, color, religion, gender, creed, ancestry, national origin, or physical or mental disability. Nothing in this article shall require an owner to offer property for sale or lease or to show his property to any person if such person is not negotiating for the purchase or lease of such property in good faith.
Ashland Ch. 20 § 20-29 clarifies the boundaries of the local human-relations article by stating what it does not require or prohibit. Property owners are not obligated to market their property to the general public before selling or renting, as long as they comply with the article's other anti-discrimination requirements. Owners may give preference to prospective tenants or buyers for any reason except those protected characteristics—race, color, religion, gender, creed, ancestry, national origin, or physical or mental disability. Additionally, the provision does not compel an owner to show or offer property to someone who is not genuinely negotiating for it.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Ashland Ch. 20 § 20-29, compliant property owners understand that they retain flexibility in how they market and show their properties, so long as they do not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic listed in the article. Operators who apply non-protected criteria—such as financial qualifications or referral networks—when selecting among prospective tenants or buyers are generally acting within the scope this provision allows. Owners also generally decline to show property only to individuals who are not engaging in genuine, good-faith negotiations, which this section explicitly permits.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Ashland Ch. 20 § 20-29 preserves important protections for prospective tenants even while granting owners certain flexibilities. Although an owner may use non-protected preferences in selecting tenants, the provision does not authorize any preference based on race, color, religion, gender, creed, ancestry, national origin, or physical or mental disability. Individuals who believe they were denied housing on the basis of a protected characteristic may consider raising a violation under the broader human-relations article, filing a complaint with the appropriate local or state civil-rights body, or reaching out to a tenant-rights organization for general information about available remedies.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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