OMG! Some apartment complexes are refusing to rent to people with tattoos and piercings?

Question

OMG! Some apartment complexes are refusing to rent to people with tattoos and piercings?
Just heard about it on CNN. In San Antonio, TX.

what the???

Is this sick and perverted?

I have tats thank you very much and I own my loft free and clear so I dont have to worry about it...but man...I think this stinks..

This sickens me.

How about you?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us...

PLEASE STAR THIS SO PEOPLE KNOW THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

I agree this is discrimination... but as someone has already said (can't mind who sorry!) a business does have the right to refuse admission.

It's like some places refuse smoking on the premises.

Unfortunately tattoos are not to everyones tastes, and as a person with tattoos you have to face up to the fact that not everyone likes them or agrees with them and will look down on you for them.

But I do agree that they shouldn't do that.

They would be able to refuse someone based on the colour of their skin, so why is it ok to do it based on pictures on the skin???

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

okay, i love tattoo's and piercings. But I hate when people are very tattooed and pierced and get mad when people stare. I think essentiatly that is what this is. If you have gone out of your way to go against the mainstream and then the mainstream doesn't except you why do you act suprised? example: If someone had a swastika on there forehead i would not want to work with that person, rent to that person or probably even talk to them. If you own a business you are fully allowed to enforce a dress code and a code of conduct. It doesn't even seem that the people who answered this watched the clip. watch it then give your opionion.

Answer 4

If they were refusing to rent to people of another race, yes there is grounds for litigation. Religion is also protected by the Bill of Rights. Even sexual orientation is protected, an arguably inherited trait.

But for something as small as piercings and tatoos, I don't know if it's covered by the laws of the land. The owner of the apartment complex ultimately does have control of who becomes tenants or her or his complexes.

When you choose to have a tatoo or a piercing, you are choosing what follows it. These are consequences of a choice that you made - knowing full well that you would carry this mark for life - it was your choice. You paid for it. If you were born with a birthmark, that could not keep you out of an apartment complex, unless it was a government-ran facility. As a privately owned business, they have the right to refuse service. You can always find another landlord who would be easier to live with anyway.

Answer 5

I say it's their loss, being how probably 65% of the population has tattoo's and piercings, and maybe even more than that, I have tattoo's and I am 39 years old, so I am sure it's a big population of people with tattoo's and piercings, and less tenants that rent those apartments.

Answer 6

These people have no grounds to sue anyone. There are forms of discrimination that are completely legal. The only traits that are illegal are traits that you are born with and have no control over (i.e. race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender) and religion. Everything else is legal to discriminate, because everything else is based on behaviors. People choose to get tattoos, so people that make that choice have to deal with the consequences of that choice. The owners of the apartment are fully within their right to refuse to rent to them, and that's how it should be. This goes for hiring as well. If I own a business and I don't want to hire people with tattoos, who are overweight, who have piercings or people that windsurf, then I am not legally obligated to hire those people. Discriminating against people for their behavior is completely legal as it should be.

Answer 7

Now, if you think about it everyone (yes you!) discriminate against something every day of your lives. Whether its "I don't like Wal-Mart" or "I wouldn't buy a Chevy" or "I wouldn't date outside my race". Many, many forms of discrimination are legal and this would be one of them. No matter how many people have tattoos, there will be people who form a negative opinion of you because of it. Tuff. Get Over It. You knew that would be the case when you went and got a "public" tat as opposed to a "private" one. You said to the rest of the world that you didn't care what they thought, that you like your body art and want to display it. You makes your choices and takes your consequences.

Its like saying, "I know I dropped out of H.S, but they turned me down for the $100k/yr job because of it. Thats discrimination!" Yes, it is. You made your choices, you live with your consequences.

On another note, everyone knows that neck, arm and face tattoos are popular with gangs and criminals. Would you want to rent to people who might be gang bangers or criminals? Do you think those people would make good tenants? Pay their rent on time and respect your property? If you think so, go drive through the parts of your town where the gangs are and see what those neighborhoods are like. A no tattoo policy is a wide brush that tars the innocent along with the guilty, but the apartments are owned by private citizens, they are private property and they have a right to discriminate as long as it isn't for Race/Sex/Religion/Orientation/ or physical handicap.

Grow up people, you knew some folks would discriminate against you b/c of your art. Its the price you pay for your art.

Answer 8

wow thats rediculous i have 3 tattoos and you would never know untill you asked because thier all in discrete areas of my body and i also have had alot of things pierced and i find it horrible to hear something so rediculous i mean i have tatts and did have piercing but took most out now and i still work a respectful job and a well respected bank...i dont do drugs and i dont even drink any more so i'd be calling my lawyer quicker then they could apologize!

Answer 9

It is within your right to have those tattoos and piercings. But it is also the right of the apartment owner to bar these people from renting one of his apartments. I would do the same thing. Think about it. If you have a lot of people like this in your apartment community a lot of average people will not want to live there.

Answer 10

That's just not right. Those people should definitely look into their Tenant Act rights and fight it.

In Ontario, Canada, you legally can't even turn away or evict someone for owning a pet (unless it's a dangerous animal). They may put it on the lease, but that just makes the lease void. GO LEGALITIES!!