Grand Rapids — Ch. 160 Discrimination in Real Property Transactions § 9.367
Blockbusting
Operative Text
It shall be unlawful for a person, for the purpose of inducing a real estate transaction from which he or she may benefit financially: (1) To represent that a change has occurred or will or may occur in the composition with respect to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, disability, marital status, height, weight, sexual orientation, gender identity, source of lawful income or public assistance recipient status of the owners or occupants in the block, neighborhood or area in which the real property is located; or (2) 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.
Grand Rapids Ch. 160 § 9.367 prohibits a practice known as 'blockbusting,' in which someone makes representations about demographic changes in a neighborhood—or the supposed negative consequences of such changes—in order to profit from a resulting real estate transaction. The rule covers a broad range of protected characteristics, including race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and source of income, among others. Both the act of describing a demographic shift and the act of predicting that such a shift will lower property values, increase crime, or reduce school quality are independently prohibited when done to financially benefit from a transaction.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Real estate professionals and property owners operating in Grand Rapids should be aware that § 9.367 of Ch. 160 bars any solicitation or communication strategy that references neighborhood demographic composition—or speculates about its future direction—as a way to motivate a sale, purchase, or other transaction. Compliant operators avoid making statements, written or verbal, that link the protected characteristics of area residents to property values, safety, or school quality. Maintaining marketing and communication practices that are free of such representations is a standard element of fair-housing compliance under this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Grand Rapids Ch. 160 § 9.367, tenants and prospective buyers have a right to be free from blockbusting tactics—manipulative statements about who lives in a neighborhood and what that supposedly means for property values or safety. If someone believes they have been subjected to such representations in connection with a housing transaction, general enforcement paths include filing a complaint with the relevant local civil rights or fair-housing authority, or reaching out to a tenant-rights or fair-housing organization for guidance. Documenting the specific statements made, when they were made, and by whom can be useful when pursuing any of these avenues under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.