Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today announced a settlement between the Civil Rights Division of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General and American Management II, LLC, addressing discriminatory language in the company’s tenant screening process. The Baltimore-based property management firm agreed to revise its policies following concerns that their previous criteria could unjustly exclude individuals with prior felony convictions from renting.
The issue came to light after a local tenants’ rights group presented troubling language from the company’s rental applications and other materials to the Civil Rights Division during a community outreach initiative. The language in question explicitly disqualified applicants with a felony record, a practice which could disproportionately affect people of color and perpetuate racial disparities in housing.
Upon notification of these concerns by the Attorney General’s office, American Management II, LLC promptly removed the offending language and collaborated with authorities to overhaul their screening approach. The new policy will perform individualized assessments of potential tenants, thereby eliminating automatic exclusions due to criminal history.
In addition to revising its screening policy, American Management has committed to waiving application fees for individuals with felony convictions for the next two years and will pay $25,000 in civil penalties.
Attorney General Brown emphasized the importance of fairness in housing, stating, “Banning people from housing just because they have a felony record not only disproportionately harms people of color but also reinforces the erroneous notion that a criminal record automatically makes someone a poor tenant. By adopting more comprehensive tenant screening procedures, we can reduce racial disparities in housing while safeguarding the interests of landlords.”
The Civil Rights Division continues to protect Marylanders from discrimination and promote equal opportunities in housing, employment, and public services through investigation, policy reform, and educational efforts.
