Gay couple in New York sues landlord for discrimination

On Behalf of | Oct 9, 2013 | Landlord/Tenant Matters

Renting in New York can be difficult, and unfortunately, some tenants are still discriminated against by landlords. An example of discrimination can be seen in a lawsuit filed by a lesbian couple against their landlord.

The couple is suing the landlord for discrimination. They say that the landlord refused to recognize their marriage and wouldn’t add one spouse to the apartment lease. The couple has lived in the apartment since 1977.

The couple got married in 2011. After getting married, the tenant on the lease wanted to add her spouse to the lease. The couple wants both of them to be tenants on the lease in case anything happens to one of them; the other tenant can continue living in the apartment without worrying about being evicted.

The couple lives in a rent stabilized apartment. If the tenant on the lease dies and her spouse is not a co-tenant on the lease, the landlord could evict her spouse. This would mean the spouse would no longer be able to live in the rent stabilized apartment and may not be able to find another affordable place to rent in New York.

However, the landlord would not add her spouse as another tenant, saying that their marriage was not recognized by the state of New York and he didn’t have to add her spouse as a co-tenant.

The lawsuit is alleging that the landlord refused to add the tenant’s spouse to the lease because the couple was gay. This case is an example of the legal action tenants can take if they believe their landlord is discriminating against them. Discrimination is illegal, and tenants have rights that protect them from discrimination and other types of violations.

Landlords that violate tenant’s rights in New York can face legal action. Tenants who believe their rights were violated should contact a real estate attorney to see what options are available.

Source: CBS New York, “Lesbian Couple Sues Manhattan Landlord For Discrimination,” Oct. 3, 2013

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