A Sunnyside landlord has sparked controversy by listing his two-bedroom apartment with a note that only “MAGA voters and Israel supporters” were invited to the open house .
The landlord, 48-year-old Alexander Baran, posted the listing on Zillow on August 5. The listing was later removed.
Tenant rights lawyer Joseph Tobener, a partner at Tobener Ravenscroft, said Baran’s actions are legal. “Political orientation is not a protected class under California or federal law,” Tobener told Fox News Digital. “Protected classes include ethnicity, religion or source of income. So this isn’t a violation of the fair employment and housing Act .”
Tobener further said that changing the law to protect political affiliation would require an amendment to the state’s housing act, which could face legal challenges up to the Supreme Court.
San Francisco has seen three major tech booms in recent decades — the dot-com boom, the social media boom, and now the AI boom — all of which have driven up rents. According to the Zumper National Rent Report, one-bedroom rents rose 13.3% and two-bedrooms 16.3% in the past year.
Tobener said landlords now hold significant power in the market, making tenants wary of potential discrimination. "Everybody should get a fair shake regardless of their political orientation. Everyone should be able to get access to housing. Housing is a fundamental right. Everyone needs housing. Everyone needs a roof over their heads. And so are we gonna start down this road where only certain people from certain political leanings can get access to certain housing."
The landlord, 48-year-old Alexander Baran, posted the listing on Zillow on August 5. The listing was later removed.
Tenant rights lawyer Joseph Tobener, a partner at Tobener Ravenscroft, said Baran’s actions are legal. “Political orientation is not a protected class under California or federal law,” Tobener told Fox News Digital. “Protected classes include ethnicity, religion or source of income. So this isn’t a violation of the fair employment and housing Act .”
Tobener further said that changing the law to protect political affiliation would require an amendment to the state’s housing act, which could face legal challenges up to the Supreme Court.
San Francisco has seen three major tech booms in recent decades — the dot-com boom, the social media boom, and now the AI boom — all of which have driven up rents. According to the Zumper National Rent Report, one-bedroom rents rose 13.3% and two-bedrooms 16.3% in the past year.
Tobener said landlords now hold significant power in the market, making tenants wary of potential discrimination. "Everybody should get a fair shake regardless of their political orientation. Everyone should be able to get access to housing. Housing is a fundamental right. Everyone needs housing. Everyone needs a roof over their heads. And so are we gonna start down this road where only certain people from certain political leanings can get access to certain housing."
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