It is hereby declared to be a discriminatory housing practice and unlawful for any person, lending institution or real estate agent to:
(a) Refuse to sell, transfer, assign, rent, lease, sublease, finance, negotiate or otherwise deny or make unavailable a dwelling to any person because of the race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, handicap, marital status, familial status or national origin of any present or prospective owner, occupant, or user of such dwelling, or in the case of a handicapped person, an associate thereof.
(b) Represent to any person that a housing accommodation is not available for inspection, sale, lease or sublease when in fact it is available, or to refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of a housing accommodation, refuse to transmit a bona-fide offer for the purchase, lease or sublease of a housing accommodation, or withdraw from the market a housing accommodation which is for sale, lease or sublease, because of the race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status or handicap of any prospective owner, occupant or user of such housing accommodation.
(c) Refuse to lend money, or to purchase a loan, or to provide other financial assistance, whether or not secured by mortgage or otherwise, for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair, or maintenance of a dwelling or otherwise withhold financing of a dwelling or withhold homeowners insurance, from any person because of the race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, handicap, marital status, familial status or national origin of any present or prospective owner, or user provided such person lends money as one of the principal aspects or incident to his principal business and not only as a part of the purchase price of an owner-occupied residence he is selling nor merely casually or occasionally to a relative or friend.
(d) Discriminate against any person in the terms or conditions of selling, transferring, assigning, brokering, renting, leasing, or subleasing any dwelling or in furnishing facilities, services, or privileges in connection with the ownership, occupancy, or use of any dwelling, including the sale of fire, extended coverage or homeowners insurance, because of the race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, handicap, marital status, familial status or national origin of any present or prospective owner, occupant, or user of such dwelling, or in the case of a handicapped person, an associate thereof, or because of the racial composition of the neighborhood in which the dwelling is located.
(e) Discriminate against any person in the terms or conditions of any loan of money, purchase of loans, or in providing other financial assistance, whether or not secured by mortgage or otherwise, for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of a dwelling because of the race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, handicap, marital status, familial status or national origin of any present or prospective owner, occupant, or user of such dwelling, or because of the racial or ethnic composition of the neighborhood in which the dwelling is located.
(f) Refuse to consider without prejudice the purpose of extending mortgage credit to a married couple or either member thereof.
(g) Print, publish, or circulate any statement or advertisement, or make any verbal statement, relating to the sale, transfer, assignment, rental, lease, sublease, or acquisition of any dwelling or the loan of money, whether or not secured by mortgage or otherwise, for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair, or maintenance of a dwelling which indicates any preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, handicap, marital status, familial status, national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation, specification or discrimination.
(h) Include in any transfer, rental, or lease of a dwelling any restrictive covenant, based on race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, handicap, marital status, familial status or national origin, or honor or exercise, or attempt to honor or exercise, any such restrictive covenant, provided that the prior inclusion of such a restrictive covenant in the chain of title shall not be deemed a violation of this provision.
(i) Induce or solicit or attempt to induce or solicit a dwelling listing, sale, or transaction by representing that a change has occurred or may occur with respect to the racial, religious, sexual, or ethnic composition of the block, neighborhood, or area in which the dwelling is located, or induced or solicited or attempt to induce or solicit such sale or listing by representing that the presence or anticipated presence of persons of any race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, handicap, familial status or national origin, in the area will or may have results such as the following:
(1) The lowering of property values;
(2) A change in the racial, religious, sexual, or ethnic composition of the block, neighborhood, or area in which the dwelling is located;
(3) An increase in criminal or antisocial behavior in the area;
(4) A decline in the quality of the schools serving the area.
(j) Deny any person access to or membership or participation in any multiple-listing service, real estate agents' association, or other service, association, or facility relating to the business of selling or renting housing accommodations, or to discriminate against any person in the terms or conditions of such access, membership, or participation, on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, marital status, familial status or ancestry.
(k) Coerce, intimidate, threaten, or interfere with any person in the exercise or enjoyment of, or on account of that person's having exercised or enjoyed or having aided or encouraged any other person in the exercise or enjoyment of any right granted or protected by this section.
(l) Discourage or attempt to discourage the purchase by a prospective purchaser of a dwelling, by representing that any block, neighborhood, or area has undergone or might undergo a change with respect to the religious, racial, sexual, marital status, familial status or ethnic composition of the block, neighborhood, or area.
(m) Discriminate against any person, because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, familial status or ancestry, in appraising the value of any dwelling in connection with the sale, brokering, or rental of such dwelling.
(n) Refuse to permit, at the expense of a handicapped person, reasonable modifications of existing premises occupied or to be occupied by such person if such modifications may be necessary to afford such person full enjoyment of the premises, except that, in the case of a rental, no modification need be permitted unless the renter first agrees to restore the interior of the premises to the condition that existed before the modification, reasonable wear and tear excepted unless previously negotiated with the landlord.
(o) Refuse to make reasonable accommodations in rules, policies, practices, or services, when such accommodations may be necessary to afford a handicapped person equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.
(p) Construct covered multi-family dwellings that do not provide for accessibility and usability for physically handicapped persons in compliance with applicable state or federal law, whichever is controlling.
(q) Discriminate in any manner against any other person because that person has opposed any unlawful practice defined in this chapter, or because that person has made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in any investigation, proceeding, or hearing as provided pursuant to this chapter.
(r) Aid, abet, incite, compel, or coerce the doing of any act declared by this chapter to be an unlawfully discriminatory practice, or to obstruct or prevent any person from complying with the provisions of this chapter, or any order issued pursuant thereto, or to attempt directly or indirectly to commit any act declared by this chapter to be an unlawful discriminatory practice.
(s) Except where required or permitted by the Fair Housing Commission, or by the government of the United States or any department or agency thereof, or by the State of Ohio, or by any court of competent jurisdiction, make any inquiry, elicit any information, make or keep any record, or use any form of application containing questions or entries concerning the race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, familial status or handicap in connection with the sale or lease of any housing accommodation or the loan of any money, whether or not secured by mortgage or otherwise, for the acquisition, construction, rehabilitation, repair or maintenance of a housing accommodation.
(Ord. 11070/97. Passed 9-10-97.)