Lesbians and gay men within the State of North Carolina have little legal protection against discrimination in housing and public accommodations. Persons seeking private housing may be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation. On the other hand, apartment owners are free to rent to lesbians and gay men without fear of prosecution (see Criminal Sodomy law).
However, as in the area of employment discrimination, there is a chance that a gay or lesbian person may be discriminated against on some other basis, such as gender or a perceived disability (see Employment), that is covered under state and federal civil rights laws.
Once a gay man or lesbian has a lease with the owner of the house or apartment, it is unlikely that he or she will be evicted solely on account of sexual orientation until the lease is up...as long as the rent is paid. The process of evicting a paying tenant is long and cumbersome, and a lawyer with experience in tenants' rights can almost always help a tenant stay in the rental unit until the lease is up (unless the tenant is damaging the property or creating a significant disturbance), if the lawyer is consulted early on. Some leases allowing eviction for "immoral conduct" or prohibiting unmarried persons from sharing a bedroom create additional problems, but even so, tenants who insist on their rights can stay in the rental unit for months after legal proceedings are begun.