Ah, New York…the place where it is tough to find a decent apartment and when you do find one, the rent is through the roof. Then there’s the issue of dog discrimination. You finally find the perfect apartment, only to discover that Fido is on the banned breeds list. However, there is some good news on the horizon for people with pets who are apartment hunting in New York.
New Bill Would Stop Dog Discrimination in New York Apartments
There is a new bill that is being introduced that would make it illegal for landlords to discriminate against potential tenants who are owners of large dog breeds or specific dog breeds. For instance, potential tenants who own a Pomeranian or Poodle are often not told they can’t have their dog reside with them in the apartment. However, many times those that are owners of a Pit Bull or Doberman, are often told those types of dogs are not allowed.
The bill, known as Assembly Bill A2065A, was introduced by Ken Zebrowski, an assemblyman from New York, who himself is the owner of a Pit Bull. The bill basically states that landlords cannot prohibit dogs from their rental properties based on the dog’s size, weight or breed alone.
Zebrowski told The Journal News, “There’s no causation between the behavior of a dog and the specific size or breed of the dog. Time and time again, you can point to studies that show it’s mainly the proper training or improper training of a dog that leads to their behavior, and not some genetic predisposition to being mean.”
Related: Apartment Living with Dogs – How to Make it Work
If the bill does indeed pass, a landlord still has the right to ban pets completely. They also have the right to limit how many pets a tenant can have as well as refuse animals that are proven to be aggressive or dangerous, such as a dog that has attacked an unprovoked person. However, these restrictions apply to all breeds of dogs. This means that if a dog has previously attacked an unprovoked person, whether it is a Boxer or a Chihuahua, the landlord has a right to refuse the dog. The goal of the bill is to ensure that landlords do not target certain breeds of dog.
