Are you TATTOED....then maybe, NO APARTMENT for you?

Question

Before commenting, check out the video....
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/09/25/avila.apartment.bans.tattoos.woai

Discrimination?
or
Rules that any Apartment Management should
be allowed to make and enforce?

Take what sort of LEGAL ACTION?
According to the Fair Housing Act
(as stated in the video)...
"refusing to rent an apartment based on tatoos is not illegal, unless the tats are specific to a person's religion or national origin."
You could be SOL...

@Mm..pete
They eventually got their entire $70 returned
back to them (says that near the end of the vid)

@ lisa g
It seems in this case the apartment owner, in his judgement, has directly linked a person's appearance (the tats) with moral character.
But again, it appears he has done nothing illegal or discriminatory by choosing who or who NOT to rent to.

Answer 1

This couple doesn't have a "right" to live in those apartments. That would be forcing the apartment owners to do something against their will and against their policy.

The couple can find another apartment somewhere else.

The guy chose to have tattoos on his body. It's not like he was born with them and couldn't help it like the color of your skin or a disability.

No one has a "right" to eat at an establishment or shop at a store or live in an apartment. You can't walk in naked or barefooted or drunk. Businesses have a right to make their own policies as long as it's not discrimination against your sex, race or disability.

Answer 2

omg. that is all i have 2 say! omg...

as long as they pay u their rent each month, how r u not happy?!? jeez. that's just stupid. so all ppl who have tattoos are bad ppl and r gonna trash ur apartment!?! don't think so. some ppl can be so stupid. man..that is just...aHhhHHh!!! annoying!!

for example:

what if some homeless person FINALLY got a good paying job and he could afford the apartment fee? and he had a tattoo? omg. like that guy didn't have a house and now ur just making him homeless again and deminshing his hopes!!

oh and when i say you i don't mean YOU. i am talking to the stupid apartment owners. lol

yeahh..so this is just dumb and retarded. i gotta think about this cuz i was gonna get a tattoo..hmmm..then i might not be able to live anywhere..

these ppl r also limiting freedom and self expression. ppl r allowed to have tattoos if they want and it SHOULD NOT get in their way of anything in their life. and also having tattoos are a way of expressing urself. so now, anyone who lives there can't do that or else they get kicked out.

and when i see ppl with tattoos i think of how awesome they look. what is everyone's problem? they aren't scary!! what makes a guy with a tattoo scary? he could be the most sweetest man u ever met..but he has a tattoo or two..SO WHAT?!? it bugs me that ppl cannot look past that and give ppl a chance.

another example:

a harvard lawyer student FINALLY graduates and he has the top grades of his entire class. so he gets a tattoo to celebrate or remember this time.
so he's like super smart and professional but even he wouldn't be allowed in that apartment.

another example:

my church youth group leader has a tattoo!! and he follows God!! having tattoos don't make u less of a person in God's eyes..so why must they make us less of a person in someone else's eyes? he even wants to become a pastor. so if he can live his life without his tattoo going against church rules (of all rules, these ones should count the most), then i think these ppl should be able to get an appartment!!

and it also bugs me that they weren't even going to refund that couple their $70 back!! like how cheap is that?!? so two honest, hardworking ppl give you their money, only for u to steal it and kick them out of the deal. wtf.

sry i am just pissed..

Answer 3

could'nt watch the vid (pc running slow) but yea, I have run into this problem.
As you can see, my moko (face tat) can sometimes have an adverse affect on people & no matter what I do it will always happen.
Last week I was pulled over for no reason other than, my face, in some peoples eyes, does not belong behind the steering wheel of a Ferarri so I either stole it or I'm a drug dealer.
I can live with this though, after all, I'm stilling leaving the scene in MY car, last laugh is mine.

Answer 4

That is discrimination and should be illegal, tattoos and piercings do not make a person what they are. Noone should disqualified from living somewhere based upon a few tattoos and piercings. I happen to have a tattoo, and several piercings, and I know if I was in that situation I would be taking legal actions.

Answer 5

I think it is discrimination. It is stereotyping pure and simple. If I understood the video correctly. The owner of the apartments is a doctor. This makes it even more upsetting to me. I don't think I'd want to be one of his patience. I don't have any tattoo's but I see nothing wrong with this type of self expression. It appears to me that he is more concerned with a persons appearance more than their moral character. If the owner was not a wealthy socialite, I don't think there would have been a problem. I thought apartment owners were generally business people who realize that everyone's money is green. This outrages me!! I'm glad you brought this to my attention. Thanks, once again you made me think about our society.

Answer 6

I think that its total bull crap. I happen to have tattoos and only my husband can see them but he is covered in tats and you can bet your sweet *** if they did this to me we'd be going to court for discrimination

Answer 7

that is ridiculous. i have tattoos and so does my boyfriend; we are both smart, well-educated, nice people. it makes me angry when others judge people based on experiences. but who wants to live in such an uptight apartment complex anyway? not me!

Answer 8

That is clearly discrimination and shouldn't be allowed.

Answer 9

That should be illegal.