Litchfield — Title IX Ch. 97 Fair Housing § 97.03

Prohibited acts

In Force
Verified 11/10/2026 · Next check 2/8/2027
LitchfieldFair Housing & Anti-Discrimination

Operative Text

Litchfield — Title IX Ch. 97 Fair Housing § 97.03
(A) It shall be unlawful for any owner of real estate, lessee, sub-lessee, real estate broker or salesman, financial institution or employee of the financial institution, advertiser, or agent of any or all of the foregoing, to discriminate against any person or persons because of their race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability with regard to the sale, exchange or rental, or any dealing concerning any housing accommodation and/or real property.
(B) In addition to the foregoing, it shall also be unlawful for any real estate broker or employee thereof, owner or other persons, or financial institution dealing with housing or real property in the city:
(1) To discriminate against any person in the availability of or the price, terms, conditions, or privileges of any kind relating to the sale, rental, lease, or occupancy of any housing accommodation or real property in the city or in furnishing of any facilities or services in connection therewith.
(2) To publish or circulate, or cause to be published or circulated, any notice, statement or advertisement, or to announce a policy, or to use any form of application, for the purchase, lease, rental or financing of real property, or to make any record of inquiry in connection with the prospective purchase, rental or lease of such real estate which expresses directly or indirectly any discrimination as to race, color, religion national origin or ancestry, sex, creed or disability of any person.
(3) To discriminate in connection with lending money, guaranteeing loans, accepting mortgages or otherwise obtaining or making available funds for the purchase, acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of any housing accommodation and/or real property.
(4) To solicit for sale, lease, or listing for the sale or lease, of any housing accommodation and/or real property on the grounds of loss of value because of the present or prospective entry into any neighborhood of any person or persons of any particular race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability.
(5) To distribute, or cause to be distributed, written material or statements designed to induce any owner of any housing accommodation and/or real property to sell or lease his or her property because of any present or prospective change in the race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability of persons in the neighborhood.
(6) To make any misrepresentations concerning the listing for sale or the anticipated listing for sale or the sale of any housing accommodation and/or real property for the purpose of inducing or attempting to induce the sale or listing for sale of any housing accommodation and/or real property by representing that the presence or anticipated presence of persons of any particular race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability in the area will or may result in the lowering of property values in the block, neighborhood or area in which the property is located.
(7) For any owner to solicit any real estate broker to sell, rent or otherwise deal with such owner's housing accommodations and/or real property with any limitation on its sale based on race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability of the proposed buyer or tenant.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Litchfield Title IX Ch. 97 Fair Housing § 97.03 makes it unlawful for a broad range of housing-related actors—including property owners, lessees, brokers, financial institutions, and advertisers—to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability in the sale, rental, or any other dealing involving housing or real property. The prohibition extends beyond simple refusals to sell or rent: it also covers discriminatory advertising, steering (sometimes called 'blockbusting'), discriminatory lending practices, and misrepresentations designed to exploit fears about neighborhood demographic change. In short, § 97.03 bars discrimination at virtually every stage of a housing transaction, from marketing and financing through occupancy.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on November 10, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Litchfield § 97.03, compliant property owners and their agents apply uniform criteria—unrelated to race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability—across all stages of a housing transaction, including advertising, tenant screening, lease terms, and the provision of facilities or services. Owners also avoid instructing brokers or other agents to limit the pool of prospective buyers or tenants on any of the protected bases listed in § 97.03. Reviewing marketing materials, application forms, and any written communications to ensure they contain no express or implied discriminatory language is a standard practice for operators seeking to remain in compliance with this provision.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Litchfield § 97.03 protects tenants and prospective tenants from discriminatory treatment at every point in a housing transaction, including advertising, application processes, lease terms, and the delivery of services or facilities. If a person believes they have experienced conduct prohibited by § 97.03—such as being steered away from a property, receiving discriminatory loan terms, or encountering a discriminatory advertisement—they may consider documenting the incident and exploring complaint options through local or state fair housing authorities, or reaching out to a tenant-rights or fair housing organization for general information. Federal fair housing protections may also apply alongside this local provision, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development accepts fair housing complaints that may overlap with the conduct described in § 97.03.

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 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

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