(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 person, or financial institution dealing with housing or real property in the City of Big Rapids, Michigan:
(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 or 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 an 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.
(8) For an owner to refuse to sell, rent, or otherwise deal with any housing accommodation and/or real property because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, creed, or disability of the proposed buyer or tenant.
(Ord. 776-06-21, passed 6-21-21)