Vegan landlord is looking for renters for a $5,750-a-month New York apartment — but there’s a catch

A “vegan landlord” has sparked debate after banning potential renters from cooking meat or fish in their apartment building.

Earlier this month, the homeowner put up two apartments for rent at his townhouse in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

The studios were renting for $4,500 and $5,750 a month, respectively, reports the New York Times.

The apartment ad, which has since been deleted, described how the “wonderful vegan landlord” asked his new tenants to comply with the “no meat/fish” rule in their building.

Although the landlord stated that he was open to carnivores living on his property, he requested that meat and fish not be cooked.

The vegan homeowner has two apartments for rent in his townhouse in Fort Greene, Brooklyn [stock photo]

During a weekend open house, realtor Andrea Kelly explained the rationale for the unusual clause to a potential resident.

She explained, “Not only is it vegetarian, but the owner lives in the building and doesn’t want the smell of roasted meat wafting upstairs.”

After encountering backlash from potential renters, the listing was removed from the Douglas Elliman website and then reposted with no mention of the cooking rule.

However, the landlord’s ex-husband – who is also vegan – has insisted it was “no discrimination”.

They said, “You have to fit in the building.”

Since the couple bought the property in 2007, they have never rented the apartments to meat eaters.

New York’s human rights law states that landlords may not exclude potential renters because of their race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, occupation, or marital status.

However, it is legal for landlords to refuse to rent their property to meat eaters – many in the city also ban smokers.

In 2018, a landlord in Manchester was accused of “discrimination” after banning vegans from applying for accommodation in his guest room. The full ad listing with the line ***IF YOU’RE VEGAN, DON’T BOTHER*** in all caps

While attending the open house, Tessa Ruben and her partner Darian Ghassemi said they would consider bidding on the apartment as they regularly order takeaway.

But when Tessa thought about it further, she said, “What makes me even more nervous than the rule itself is knowing that there’s someone at the top making sure you follow it.”

In 2018, a landlord in Manchester was accused of “discrimination” after banning vegans from applying for accommodation in his guest room.

The homeowner, who is listed as “Alex” in the SpareRoom advertisement that went live Monday, printed a block letters warning to viewers: “If you’re vegan, don’t bother,” before listing further requirements.

His duplex in Manchester’s Northern Quarter featured a spacious living room, bathroom and two bedrooms for £700 a month.

A spokesman for the Vegan Society said at the time: “While we can understand why the landlord wanted the ad to be humorous, we don’t quite understand why he would object to living with a vegan.”

“It’s worth noting that discrimination wouldn’t be appropriate if he was renting out an entire house, but there is an exception in certain situations, such as when you’re a homeowner where you live.”

“It’s a well-known fact that many vegans are good cooks who pay attention to what’s in their meals.”

“Vegans are also often fond of cooking for their roommates, which we think could make Alex reconsider his decision to ban them from his home.”