A vegan landlady is under fire for imposing unusually strict limitations on potential tenants, causing outrage among those interested in her apartments and online.
Michal Arieh Lerer has enforced a “no meat/fish in the building” rule on her tenants, explaining through her agent that she didn’t want the smell of cooking meat reaching her living quarters.
While not legally considered discrimination, critics argue that such restrictions are excessive and control-oriented.
Despite the controversy, the apartments are still available for rent on the estate agent’s website, albeit without any mention of the meat ban.
However, the original listing that sparked the outcry was removed from nextdoor.com a day after being posted. New York’s Human Rights Law does not include dietary preferences as a protected characteristic against discrimination, although renters with medical conditions might be able to argue for “reasonable accommodation”.
Advertised as “spacious, sun-drenched” with a price range of $4,500 to $5,750 per month, the properties feature “spectacular outdoor spaces”.
Social media users expressed their dismay, with some suggesting that Lerer’s approach to renting was unreasonable, while others advised potential tenants to find ways around the restrictions to avoid conflict.
[Image via Shutterstock]