Salisbury Landlord to Pay $100,000 in Voucher Settlement
Salisbury, MD - A Salisbury landlord with about 100 rental properties on the Eastern Shore has agreed to pay $100,000 and change how it screens renters. The deal settles claims that it turned away people using housing vouchers.
Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced the settlement with Disney Properties LLC.
The case started when his Civil Rights Division looked into how the company handled rental applications. The division found reasonable cause to believe the company discriminated against people who wanted to use Housing Choice Vouchers. That's the federal rental help program a lot of people know as Section 8.
According to the investigation, the company refused to rent to applicants with vouchers. It also posted application rules that asked for three to four current pay stubs.
Those rules made it hard for renters whose money comes from rental assistance, disability benefits, retirement, or other income outside a regular job.
"Housing vouchers are supposed to help people secure a home, not be the reason they are turned away," said Attorney General Brown. "This settlement will make it easier for Marylanders to put a roof over their loved ones' heads, whether they pay their rent with a paycheck, a voucher, or disability benefits."
Maryland's Housing Opportunities Made Equal Act, known as the HOME Act, already says landlords can't turn people away because of a lawful source of income, including vouchers.
The state went a step further on October 1, 2026. A new law, the Discrimination in Housing for Income-Based Housing Subsidies and Positive Rental History Reporting Act, puts more limits on using financial screening to deny housing to people who get income-based subsidies.
Under the settlement, Disney Properties has to accept vouchers and other lawful income at all covered properties. Income checks must be based on the part of the rent the renter actually pays, not the full amount.
It also has to drop pay stub demands that aren't needed, along with requests for a physical Social Security card when other reasonable paperwork is available.
Its applications, ads, and websites must drop wording that discourages voucher holders from applying. Criminal history will be looked at case by case, and a central management team will review any planned denial.
Up to 100 eligible applicants who plan to use vouchers or other rental subsidies will have their application fees waived while the agreement is in place. Owners and staff must take fair housing training, and current tenants and some past applicants will be told about the new policies.
Disney Properties must also share open listings with housing agencies and local groups that help voucher holders and low-income renters on the Eastern Shore. The $100,000 civil penalty goes to the State of Maryland.
The agreement lasts two years. During that time, the company must keep records and send compliance reports to the Civil Rights Division twice a year.
Brown thanked Division Chief Jonathan M. Smith, Deputy Division Chief Rashida Ogletree-George, and Assistant Attorney General Marques Banks for their work on the case.
If you believe your civil rights have been violated, call the Civil Rights Division at 410-576-6300 or toll-free at 888-743-0023, or file a report using its Civil Rights Complaint Form.
