§ 445-95-2

§445-95.2 Unfair and deceptive practices defined. The following are defined as unfair or deceptive practices in the rooming house business: (1) Requiring, seeking, or encouraging any resident or prospective resident to execute a power of attorney in which the resident or prospective resident names the rooming house, its owner, or any of its agents or employees as attorney-in-fact; (2) Making any representation that the rooming house offers medical care, rehabilitation, or therapeutic benefits of any type; (3) Negotiating public assistance checks payable to a resident; (4) Refusing to refund any deposit as provided in sections 521-44(c) and 521-66; (5) Refusing to give any resident a partial rent refund in accordance with section 521-66; (6) Encouraging, soliciting, or requiring any resident or prospective resident to consent to the release of information concerning the resident or prospective resident which is maintained by any government agency and otherwise confidential; (7) Encouraging, soliciting, or requiring a resident or prospective resident to: (A) Turn over food stamps to the rooming house, its agents, or employees; or (B) Permit authorization to purchase (ATP) food stamp

ing, soliciting, or requiring a resident or prospective resident to: (A) Turn over food stamps to the rooming house, its agents, or employees; or (B) Permit authorization to purchase (ATP) food stamp cards to be negotiated by the rooming house, its agents, or employees; (8) Limiting, hindering, or restricting access of residents who are food stamp recipients to foodstuffs, food containers, refrigerators, or other food storage facilities; (9) Encouraging, soliciting, or requiring any resident or prospective resident to apply for or receive food stamps if the rooming house has meal service; (10) Accepting food stamps as payment for or in reduction of rent; (11) Charging different rents for similar accommodations based on the amount of a resident's public assistance benefits; (12) Encouraging, soliciting, or requiring any resident or prospective resident to have public assistance benefits mailed to the rooming house, its owner, or its agents or employees; and (13) Denying any prospective resident or evicting any resident from living accommodations solely on the basis of age or disability. [L 1988, c 313, pt of §3]