Are there any laws forbidding discrimination against tenants?

Yes, there are laws forbidding discrimination against tenants in the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia Human Rights Act of 1977 (DCHRA) prohibits landlords from denying housing services, including rental of a dwelling, to any person based on their race, color, religion, marital status, creed, national origin, sex, age, personal appearance, sexual orientation, family responsibility, political affiliation, physical handicap, source of income, or place of residence or business. In addition, the Fair Housing Act of 1968 protects families with children from discrimination when renting an apartment. According to the DCHRA, a landlord must not deny a tenant the right to rent or lease a dwelling on the grounds of place of residence (for example, not allowing people from certain neighborhoods or cities to rent from them). The DCHRA also prohibits discriminatory advertising, meaning that a landlord may not exclude any group of people from seeing ads for rental properties or require any group of people to meet a different set of criteria than others to be approved for a rental unit. All of these rules apply to all landlords, including those who own and manage multiple properties.

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Are there any laws forbidding discrimination against tenants?

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