A vegan landlord has banned prospective tenants from cooking meat in their apartment building.
While landlords have been absolutely trying it as of late – from raising the rent to an exorbitant amount in this cost-of-living crisis to going MIA when appliances need repairing – a no-meat policy is definitely new.
According to The New York Times, a real estate listing in Brooklyn teased two sunny wide brick townhouse apartments in Fort Greene with plenty of outdoor space, valued at $4,500 (AUD $6,557) and $5,750 (AUD $8,379) per month.
The listing revealed that the landlord didn’t want tenants cooking meat or fish in the apartment.
Andrea Kelly, the broker, explained why the landlord added this unusual rule.
“It’s not vegetarian-only, but the owner lives in the building and doesn’t want the smell of cooking meat drifting upstairs,” she said, as per the outlet.
While takeaway is fine, cooking a roast on a Sunday is not.
Lucas A. Ferrara, an adjunct professor at New York Law School and co-author of the book Landlord and Tenant Practice in New Yorksaid that while this is legal, tenants could fight this regulation on the provision that they have a medical condition that requires them to eat meat.
“Absent an exception of that type,” Mr. Ferrara wrote.
“The restriction would otherwise be permissible.”
Similarly, in 2019, a Gumtree ad for a spacious house in an affordable suburb in Melbourne revealed that it was only looking for vegan tenants.
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“House is only for vegan families and no other food or beverages are allowed in the house,” the Gumtree ad for the Frankston rental read.
Mother Janice criticized the ad and said it felt like a slap in the face, especially in the age of Melbourne’s competitive property market.
“If you have a kid or you have more than two kids, you’re competing with families constantly,” she told A Current Affair.
“Anyone in this company should be allowed to apply for a rental,” she said.
She continued: “Why should I be discriminated against just because I like pork roast?”
However, vegan psychologist Claire Mann defended the landlord’s decision.
“Veganism is a philosophy which underpins everything in a person’s life,” she told the outlet.
“If I allow people in an area I have control over to come into my home and give me earnings from … the suffering of animals, I don’t want any part of it.”