What to do about a pet clause in a lease that is applied to some but not all tenants?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do about a pet clause in a lease that is applied to some but not all tenants?
I am currently living in a building that was split up into 3 apartments. There is one above me and one behind me. Everyone in this building has the same lease and landlords. In the lease it says that we cannot have pets but the people that live behind me have 4 dogs. They have had these dogs for about 5 to 6 months now. Recently I asked the landlords if there was anyway that could get me a dog and they told me no.
Asked on August 15, 2011 Kentucky
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Unless you feel you are being discriminated against on some protected basis--i.e. because of your race, sex, disability, etc.--the law does NOT require that all tenants be treated the same. Your leases, for example, may have different clauses, it would be legal for some leases to have a no pets clause and others to not. Or the landlord may grant permission to some tenants to do something that their leases would otherwise prohibit, but not grant that permission to other tenants. Unfortunately, except as per those few, specially protected categories, the law does not require equal or identical treatment for all tenants, and landlords may, broadly speaking, act more favorably to some than to others.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.