Mass. Landlords Get Hammered For Failing To Lease To Renters w/ Kids To Avoid Lead Paint Abatement Requirements, Tenants w/ "Section 8" Subsidies

The Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General has taken recent action in connection with enforcing housing discrimination laws involving the alleged refusal by landlords to rent to families with children & tenants receiving housing subsidies, as well as the refusal of landlords to remediate lead based paint hazards in rental units and common areas:

• Coakley Obtains Consent Judgment Against Quincy Landlords for Discriminating Against Section 8 Recipients: Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office obtained a consent judgment against Inna Bogina, the owner of a three-bedroom rental property in Quincy, and her daughter Tatiana Bogina, the rental agent for the property, resolving allegations that they violated state anti-discrimination laws by refusing to rent to recipients of housing subsidies and a family with children. The consent judgment, entered yesterday by Judge Barbara A. Dortch-Okara in Norfolk Superior Court, orders Inna and Tatiana Bogina to pay $5,000 to the victims, bars the Boginas from discriminating in the future, and requires Tatiana Bogina to attend a training on fair housing laws.

• Coakley Reaches Settlement with East Boston Landlord Resolving Allegations of Housing Discrimination: Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office reached a settlement with an East Boston landlord, resolving allegations that he unfairly discriminated against prospective tenants, denying them the opportunity to rent an apartment. The Assurance of Discontinuance, filed [...] against Russell Tremaine, the landlord, alleges that he violated state anti-discrimination and lead paint laws by denying a couple with a young child the right to rent an apartment in East Boston because of the presence of lead paint. "It is against the law to deny a family the opportunity to rent an apartment because the family has a child under six, which would require the landlord to abate or remove any lead paint from the unit and common areas. Those who choose to be landlords and participate in the rental market must play by the rules and abide by the laws meant to ensure people’s health and safety,” said Attorney General Martha Coakley.

• Coakley Reaches Statewide Settlement with 20 Landlords and Real Estate Agents for Discriminatory Advertisements on Craigslist and Files Suit Against Six Others: Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office reached settlements in 20 cases against landlords and real estate agents across the Commonwealth accused of violating state anti-discrimination laws by making discriminatory statements in rental advertisements posted on the popular classified advertising website Craigslist.org (“Craigslist”). The Attorney General’s Office also filed lawsuits against six other defendants based on similar allegations. The settlements and lawsuits are a result of a statewide investigation into reports of widespread discriminatory Internet advertising, [...]. Under Massachusetts law, it is illegal to discriminate against someone because the presence of children might trigger a property owner’s duties under the lead paint laws or because someone receives a housing subsidy, such as a Section 8 voucher, to pay for some or all of their rent. The advertisements in question in this investigation include such language as “no children” or “no Section 8,” in blatant violation of the law. The settlements, [...] require the property owners and real estate agents to pay the Commonwealth $18,250, ($8,750 of which is suspended pending compliance with the agreements), attend trainings on state and federal fair housing laws, remove lead paint hazards from the rental units, and prohibit the defendants from placing discriminatory advertisements or otherwise discriminating against any person who seeks or applies for housing because they are a member of a protected class.

• Coakley Settles with Cambridge Real Estate Company That Discriminated Against Family with Young Child: Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office obtained a consent judgment against ABG Residential, a Cambridge-based realty company, and its agent, Georgina Zala, resolving claims that the company refused to rent an apartment to a couple because they had a nine-month old child whose presence would require abatement of lead paint hazards under state law. The consent judgment, [...] orders the defendants to pay $3,500 to the couple and bars the defendants from future acts of discrimination.

• Attorney General Martha Coakley Sues Melrose landlords for Housing Discrimination: Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office filed a housing discrimination complaint against Carl and Karen Fontana, the owners of a two-bedroom rental property in Melrose. The complaint, [...] alleges that the Fontanas violated state anti-discrimination laws by refusing to rent to recipients of housing subsidies.