Raleigh City Code § 4-2001 TITLE.
Sec. 4-2001. - TITLE.
This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the City of Raleigh "Fair Housing Ordinance."
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-1)
FAIR HOUSING
Raleigh City Code pt. 4, ch. 2
in effectRaleigh City Code § 4-2002 DEFINITIONS.
Sec. 4-2002. - DEFINITIONS.
Except where the context clearly indicates otherwise, the following terms as used in this chapter shall have the following meanings:
Hearing Board.
That body of citizens duly appointed by the Council to hear, make determinations and issue findings in all cases of discriminatory practices in housing resulting from conciliation failure. At least one (1) resident appointment to the board shall be a non-owner tenant of a residential unit that serves as their primary residence within the City. The Hearing Board shall be known as the Fair Housing Advisory Board.
Conciliation Agreement.
A written agreement or statement setting forth the terms of the agreement mutually signed and subscribed to by both complainant(s) and respondent(s) and witnessed by a duly authorized enforcing agent.
Conciliation Failure.
Any failure to obtain a conciliation agreement between the parties to the discrimination charge or a breach thereof.
Discrimination.
Any direct or indirect act or practice of exclusion, distinction, restriction, segregation, limitation, refusal, denial, or any other act or practice of differentiation or preference in the treatment of a person or persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or sex, or the aiding, abetting, inciting, coercing or compelling thereof.
Real Property.
Buildings, structures, real estate, lands, tenements, leaseholds, cooperatives, condominiums, and hereditaments, corporeal and incorporeal, or any interest in the above.
Housing Accommodations.
Improved and unimproved property and means a building, structure, lot or part thereof which is used or occupied, or is intended, arranged or designed to be used or occupied, as a home or residence of one (1) or more individuals.
Real Estate Operator.
Any individual or combination of individuals, labor unions, joint apprenticeship committees, partnerships, associations, corporations, legal representatives, mutual companies, joint stock companies, trusts, unincorporated organizations, trustees in bank-mutual companies, joint stock companies, trusts, unincorporated organizations, trustee in bankruptcy, receivers or other legal or commercial entity, the City or County or any of its agencies or any owner of real property that is engaged in the business of selling, purchasing, exchanging, renting or leasing real estate, or the improvements thereof, including options, or that derives income, in whole or in part, from the sale, purchase, exchange, rental or lease of real estate; or an individual employed by or acting on behalf of any of these.
Real Estate Broker, Real Estate Salesman.
An individual, whether licensed or not, who, on behalf of others, for a fee, commission, salary or other valuable consideration, or who with the intention or expectation of receiving or collecting the same, lists, sells, purchases, exchanges, rents or leases real estate, or the improvements thereon, including options, or who negotiates or attempts to negotiate on behalf of others such an activity; or who advertises or holds themselves out as engaged in such activities; or who negotiates or attempts to negotiate on behalf of others a loan secured by mortgage or other encumbrances upon a transfer of real estate, or who is engaged in the business of charging an advance fee or contracting for collection of a fee in connection with a contract whereby he undertakes to promote the sale, purchase, exchange, rental or lease of real estate through its listing in a publication issued primarily for such purpose, or an individual employed by or acting on behalf of any of these.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-2; Ord. No. 2021-221, §1, 4-20-21; Ord. No. (2025) 774, § 1, 8-19-25)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2003 PURPOSES OF LAW, CONSTRUCTION; EFFECT.
Sec. 4-2003. - PURPOSES OF LAW, CONSTRUCTION; EFFECT.
(a) The general purposes of this chapter are:
(1) To provide for execution within the City of Raleigh of the policies embodied in Title VIII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1968 as amended;
(2) To safeguard all individuals within the City from discrimination in housing opportunities because of race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin, or sex; thereby to protect their interest in personal dignity and freedom from humiliation; to secure the City against domestic strife and unrest which would menace its democratic institutions; to preserve the public health and general welfare; and to further the interests, rights and privileges of individuals within the City.
(b) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be deemed to repeal any other law of this City relating to discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin or sex.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-3; Ord. No. 2002-234, §1, 6-18-02)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2004 UNLAWFUL HOUSING PRACTICES.
Sec. 4-2004. - UNLAWFUL HOUSING PRACTICES.
It is an unlawful practice for a real estate owner or operator or for a real estate broker, real estate salesman, or any individual employed by or acting on behalf of any of these:
(a) To refuse to sell, exchange, rent or lease or otherwise deny to or withhold real property from an individual because of his or her race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin or sex.
(b) To discriminate against an individual because of his or her race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin or sex in the terms, conditions or privileges of the sale, exchange, rental or lease of real property or in the furnishings of facilities or services in connection therewith.
(c) To refuse to receive or transmit a bona fide offer to purchase, rent or lease real property from an individual because of his or her race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin or sex.
(d) To refuse to negotiate for the sale, rental or lease of real property to an individual because of his or her race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin or sex.
(e) To represent to an individual that real property is not available for inspection, sale, rental or lease when in fact it is so available, or to refuse to permit an individual to inspect real property because of his or her race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin or sex.
(f) To print, circulate, post or mail, or cause to be printed, circulated, posted or mailed, an advertisement or sign, or to use a form of application for the purchase, rental or lease of real property, or to make a record of inquiry in connection with the prospective purchase, rental or lease of real property, which indicates, directly or indirectly, a limitation, specification or discrimination as to race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin or sex or an intent to make such a limitation, specification or discrimination.
(g) To offer, solicit, accept, use or retain a listing of real property for sale, rental or lease with the understanding that an individual may be discriminated against in the sale, rental or lease of that real property or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith because of race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin or sex.
(h) To otherwise deny to or withhold real property from an individual because of race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin or sex.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-4; Ord. No. 2002-234, §1, 6-18-02)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2005 BLOCKBUSTING.
Sec. 4-2005. - BLOCKBUSTING.
It is an unlawful practice for a real estate owner or operator, a real estate broker, a real estate salesman, a financial institution, an employee of any of these, or any other person, for the purpose of inducing a real estate transaction from which he may benefit financially:
(a) To represent that a change has occurred or will or may occur in the composition with respect to race, color, familial status, disability, sex, religion or national origin of the owners or occupants in the block, neighborhood or area in which the real property is located; or
(b) To represent that this change will or may result in the lowering of property values, an increase in criminal or antisocial behavior, or a decline in the quality of schools in the block, neighborhood or area in which the real property is located.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-5; Ord. No. 2002-234, §2, 6-18-02)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2006 EXEMPTIONS FROM HOUSING PROVISIONS.
Sec. 4-2006. - EXEMPTIONS FROM HOUSING PROVISIONS.
(a) Nothing in §4-2004 shall apply:
(1) To the rental of housing accommodations in a building which contains housing accommodations for not more than four (4) families living independently of each other, if the owner or a member of his family resides in one (1) of the housing accommodations;
(2) To the rental of one (1) room or one (1) rooming unit in a housing accommodation by an individual if he or a member of his family resides therein;
(3) To a landlord who refuses to rent to an unmarried male-female couple.
(b) Nothing in §4-2004 shall prohibit a religious organization, association or society, or any nonprofit institution or organization operated, supervised or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious organization, association or society, from limiting the sale, rental or occupancy of dwellings which it owns or operates for other than a commercial purpose to persons of the same religion, or from giving preference to such persons, unless membership in such a religion is restricted on account of race, color, sex or national origin.
(c) Single sex dormitory rental property shall be excluded from the provisions of this chapter which relate to discrimination based on sex.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-6)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2007 PROVISIONS FOR ENFORCEMENT.
Sec. 4-2007. - PROVISIONS FOR ENFORCEMENT.
(a) The violation of any of the provisions of this chapter shall subject the violator to a civil penalty in the amount of $200 to be recovered in a civil action, provided that in the case of a continuing violation, the total penalty shall not exceed $1,000.
(b) The City may sue in a civil act through the General Court of Justice for appropriate remedies to enforce the provisions of this chapter, including temporary restraining orders and mandatory and prohibitory injunctions.
(c) In addition to appropriate civil and/or equitable remedies for enforcement of this chapter, a violation of this chapter shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable as provided by law.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-7)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2008 AGENCY NO DEFENSE IN PROCEEDING AGAINST REAL ESTATE DEALER.
Sec. 4-2008. - AGENCY NO DEFENSE IN PROCEEDING AGAINST REAL ESTATE DEALER.
It shall be no defense to a violation of this chapter by a real estate owner or operator, real estate broker, real estate salesman, a financial institution, or other person subject to the provisions of this chapter, that the violation was requested, sought or otherwise procured by a person not subject to the provisions of this chapter.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-8)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2009 ESTABLISHMENT OF PROCEDURES FOR CONCILIATION.
Sec. 4-2009. - ESTABLISHMENT OF PROCEDURES FOR CONCILIATION.
(a) The City shall designate an agent(s) to investigate, make determinations of probable cause, and seek to conciliate apparent violations of this chapter. Conciliation efforts may be initiated by any person(s) said to be subject to discrimination as defined in this chapter.
(b) The Council shall establish a hearing board which in turn shall adopt formal rules and procedures to hear complaints and make appropriate findings. Such procedures shall be made known to all parties of a given charge of discrimination. Hearings by the board shall commence whenever the agent(s) acting on behalf of the City decides a conciliation failure has occurred and the respondent agrees to participate in the hearing board proceedings. Hearings open to the public may be initiated by the responding party at any time during the conciliation process.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-9)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2010 FINDINGS OF HEARING BOARD; NATURE OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
Sec. 4-2010. - FINDINGS OF HEARING BOARD; NATURE OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.
(a) If the hearing board determines that the respondent has not engaged in an unlawful practice, the board shall state its findings of fact and conclusions of law and shall issue an order dismissing the complaint. A copy of the order shall be delivered to the complainant, the respondent, the City Attorney and such other public officers and persons as the board deems proper.
(b) If the hearing board determines that the respondent has engaged in an unlawful practice, it shall state its findings of fact and conclusions of law and shall negotiate such affirmative action as in its judgment will carry out the purposes of this chapter. A copy of the findings shall be delivered to the respondent, the complainant, the City Attorney and such other public officials, officers and persons as the board deems proper.
(c) Affirmative action negotiated under this section may include, but not be limited to:
(1) Extension to all individuals of the full and equal enjoyment of the advantages, facilities, privileges and services of the respondent;
(2) Reporting as to the manner of compliance;
(3) Posting notices in conspicuous places in the respondent's place of business in a form prescribed by the hearing board.
(4) Sale, exchange, lease, rental, assignment or sublease of real property to an individual;
(5) Payment to the complainant of damages for injury caused by an unlawful practice including compensation for humiliation and embarrassment, and expenses incurred by the complainant in obtaining alternative housing accommodations and for other costs actually incurred by the complainant as a direct result of such unlawful practice.
(d) The provisions for conciliation and affirmative action shall not preclude or in any way impair the enforcement provisions of this chapter.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-10)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2011 INVESTIGATIONS, POWERS, RECORDS.
Sec. 4-2011. - INVESTIGATIONS, POWERS, RECORDS.
(a) In connection with an investigation of a complaint filed under this chapter, the enforcing agent(s) at any reasonable time may request voluntary access to premises, records and documents relevant to the complaint and may request the right to examine, photograph and copy evidence.
(b) Every person subject to this chapter shall make, keep and preserve records relevant to the determination of whether unlawful practices have been or are being committed, such records being maintained and preserved in a manner and to the extent required under the Civil Rights Act of 1968 and any regulations promulgated thereunder.
(c) A person who believes that the application to him of a regulation or order issued under this section would result in undue hardship may apply to the hearing board for an exemption from the application of the regulation or order. If the board finds that the application of a regulation or order to the person in question would impose an undue hardship, it may grant appropriate relief.
(Code 1959, Sec. 26-11)
Raleigh City Code § 4-2012 CONSPIRACY TO VIOLATE THIS CHAPTER UNLAWFUL.
Sec. 4-2012. - CONSPIRACY TO VIOLATE THIS CHAPTER UNLAWFUL.
It shall be an unlawful practice for a person, or for two (2) or more persons to conspire to do any of the following:
(a) To retaliate or discriminate in any manner against a person because he or she has opposed a practice declared unlawful by this chapter, or because he or she has made a charge, filed a complaint, testified, assisted or participated in any manner in any investigation, proceeding or hearing under this chapter.
(b) To aid, abet, incite, compel or coerce a person to engage in any of the acts or practices declared unlawful by this chapter.
(c) To obstruct or prevent a person from complying with the provisions of this chapter or any order issued thereunder.
(d) To resist, prevent, impede or interfere with the enforcing agent(s), hearing board or any of its members or representatives, in the lawful performance of duty under this chapter.
(Code 1959, §26-12)
Source: City of Raleigh, North Carolina, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/nc/raleigh/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=DIVIICOGEOR_PT4COSE_CH2FAHOFetched: 11/1/2026