Here is a wonderful example of how you can discriminate against potential tenants. The local CBS station in Los Angeles reports:
“Judy Guth owns a 12-unit building in North Hollywood. Not only is Guth pet-friendly, she doesn’t want a tenant who doesn’t have a pet. All pets welcome — cats, dogs, birds.”
Many think that you cannot discriminate against anyone for any reason. But that is simply not true. While landlords cannot in most cases discriminate against the seven federally protected classes, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status, many other items are in play. And you should be discriminatory in who you choose to rent your properties to.
You may not want folks with an eviction or bankruptcy in their past. If you do not want to rent to lawyers, you do not have to rent to lawyers. If you do not want to rent to people who own motorcycles, you do not have to. If you do not like pets, then there are no pets. Or if you like pets, it can be all pets as in the story above.
They key is to be consistent. You cannot pick and choose which lawyers you will rent to for example or let some in with a bankruptcy while keeping others under the same circumstances out. It has to be all or none. Whatever you decide, be sure to write your rental standards down and keep them in a handy file just in case someone, like a fair housing officer, asks to see them.
please where do i find this person judy guth!
i want to live in her bldg . with my two felines.
Ann,
I like cats too and take pets in my places as a lot of other landlords do as well. I did think that it was neat that she ONLY took people with pets. Most of the time it is the other way around.
Thanks for reading and commenting,
Kevin