Overwhelming urges to clean and organize your living space are a normal part of pregnancy. The last things a pregnant woman wants to do during this time is receive an eviction notice and search for a new place to live.
If you are pregnant and your landlord is threatening to evict you, it is important to know your rights
Federal fair housing laws
Under the federal Fair Housing Act, it is illegal for landlords to discriminate against tenants based on pregnancy. This law means that a landlord cannot refuse to rent to you, evict you or impose different rental terms because you are pregnant.
Maryland fair housing laws
Maryland has its own fair housing laws that also prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy. The Maryland Fair Housing Act protects pregnant individuals from housing discrimination in the state. This state law goes beyond federal law by further prohibiting discrimination based on marital status, gender identification, sexual orientation or source of income.
Occupancy rationale for evicting pregnant women
Landlords can typically limit the number of tenants in an apartment through the terms of a lease agreement. However, they cannot use occupancy limits as a way to discriminate against families with children under 18 years old or pregnant women.
Retaliation
Landlords are also prohibited from retaliating against tenants for asserting their rights under fair housing laws. This means that if you complain about discrimination or assert your rights as a pregnant tenant, your landlord cannot retaliate by attempting to evict you.
If you believe your landlord is harassing you in an effort to make you leave, rather than evicting you outright, you may still have legal recourse. It is important to take action to resolve the matter so that you will have stable living arrangements once the baby is born.