Maine Fair Housing
Practice Questions & Answers (2026)
Fair housing is tested on every real estate exam in the country, but Maine candidates must know both federal and state-level protections. While Maine enforces the seven federal protected classes (race, color, religion, sex, national origin, familial status, and disability), the Maine Real Estate Commission also tests how these protections apply in Maine-specific rental, sales, and advertising scenarios. Steering, blockbusting, redlining, and discriminatory advertising are all tested — and candidates who think they know fair housing cold often miss the state-specific extensions or the nuanced application scenarios. Review every question here carefully.
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Maine Fair Housing — Practice Questions & Answers
108 questions on Fair Housing from the Maine real estate question bank. First 10 are free — sign up to unlock all 108.
Q1. In Maine, in addition to the seven federal protected classes, state fair housing law adds which protected class?
Explanation
Maine's Human Rights Act adds several protected classes beyond the federal seven, including sexual orientation and gender identity, providing broader fair housing protections.
Q2. A real estate agent who tells a minority buyer that no homes are available in a neighborhood where homes are actually for sale is engaging in:
Explanation
Telling a buyer that no homes are available in a neighborhood where homes are actually for sale based on the buyer's protected class characteristics is a form of steering — an illegal fair housing violation.
Q3. Under the Fair Housing Act, which of the following is a permissible exemption from the law?
Explanation
Housing communities that qualify as senior housing under HUD's '55 and older' or '62 and older' guidelines are exempt from the Fair Housing Act's familial status protections.
Q4. A reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act may include:
Explanation
A landlord must grant a reasonable accommodation for a tenant with a disability, such as waiving a 'no pets' policy to allow a service or assistance animal.
Q5. The Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA) protects against housing discrimination based on which characteristic NOT covered by the federal Fair Housing Act?
Explanation
The Maine Human Rights Act provides broader protections than the federal Fair Housing Act by including sexual orientation and gender identity/expression as protected classes in addition to the federally protected classes.
Q6. Under the federal Fair Housing Act, blockbusting is defined as:
Explanation
Blockbusting (panic selling) is the illegal practice of inducing owners to sell their homes by making representations about the entry of members of a protected class into the neighborhood, with the purpose of profiting from the sales.
Q7. In Maine, a landlord who refuses to rent to a family with children is likely violating:
Explanation
Familial status (families with children under 18) is a protected class under both the federal Fair Housing Act and the Maine Human Rights Act. Refusing to rent based on familial status violates both laws.
Q8. Which of the following is an example of 'steering' in Maine real estate?
Explanation
Steering is the illegal practice of directing buyers or renters to or away from specific neighborhoods based on their race, religion, national origin, or other protected class status.
Q9. The Maine Human Rights Commission handles complaints filed under the Maine Human Rights Act. Within how many days must a housing complaint be filed after the alleged discriminatory act?
Explanation
Under the Maine Human Rights Act, a housing discrimination complaint must be filed with the Maine Human Rights Commission within 1 year of the alleged discriminatory act.
Q10. Under the Fair Housing Act, a landlord may refuse to rent to an individual with a disability if:
Explanation
The Fair Housing Act allows a landlord to refuse housing to a person with a disability only if that individual poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be reduced or eliminated by a reasonable accommodation.
Q11. Redlining in Maine real estate refers to:
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