Maine Fair Housing Laws: Exam Study Guide

Maine Fair Housing Laws: Exam Study Guide

Fair housing questions appear on both the national and state sections of the Maine real estate exam. The national section tests the federal Fair Housing Act (1968). The state section tests Maine's additional protections — and the exam specifically tests what Maine adds that the federal law does not cover.

Federal Fair Housing Act — Protected Classes

The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on seven protected classes:

1. Race
2. Color
3. National origin
4. Religion
5. Sex
6. Familial status
7. Disability (handicap)

These seven classes must be memorized. A common memory aid: RRCNFSD (Race, Religion, Color, National origin, Familial status, Sex, Disability).

Maine Fair Housing — Additional Protected Classes

Maine's Human Rights Act extends fair housing protections beyond the federal seven. Maine adds:

• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Ancestry
• Marital status

On the exam, you may see a question listing a situation involving one of these Maine-added classes. The correct answer will be that the conduct violates Maine law even if it does not violate the federal Fair Housing Act.

What Conduct Is Prohibited

Both federal and Maine fair housing law prohibit: - Refusing to sell or rent - Misrepresenting availability - Steering (directing buyers/renters toward or away from neighborhoods based on protected class) - Blockbusting (inducing panic selling based on protected class) - Discriminatory advertising - Refusing to make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities

Exemptions

Certain limited exemptions exist under federal law: - Owner-occupied buildings with no more than 4 units (Mrs. Murphy exemption) — federal only, and Maine may apply stricter rules - Single-family homes sold or rented by the owner without a broker (with restrictions) - Religious organizations and private clubs in certain circumstances

Exam tip: Exemptions are narrow. If a broker is involved, exemptions generally do not apply.

Exam Questions to Expect

The Maine exam commonly tests: - Which protected classes are added by Maine but not covered by federal law - Whether a specific scenario violates federal law, Maine law, or both - Which exemptions apply and when they do not apply - The definition of steering and blockbusting

Key Distinction: Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation is the most commonly tested Maine addition. The federal Fair Housing Act does not explicitly list sexual orientation as a protected class (though HUD has interpreted sex discrimination broadly). Maine explicitly includes it. If an exam question asks whether refusing to rent to a same-sex couple violates Maine fair housing law, the answer is yes.

Practice Fair Housing Questions

[CARealestate.com/states/maine](https://carealestate.com/states/maine) includes fair housing practice questions covering both federal and Maine-specific protections. 5 free questions — no signup needed.