Non-Human Dependants' Equal Housing Rights/ Species-based Housing Discrimination

Species-based discrimination to apartment renters must be put to an end!

I hereby state that I find the prohibition of reasonable, common, non-human dependants from both equal opportunities and costs of housing anywhere in the United States to be discriminatory and unacceptable.

It is unfairly assumed that reasonable, non-human dependants (such as cats, rabbits, dogs, or turtles) will cause significant damage to the proposed rented housing moreso than human dependants (such as children), inasmuch as they, the non-human dependants, are discriminated against by landlords and/or owners on one of two bases; completely barred from co-habiting with the renter, or faced with higher rent prices and/or additional deposit charges than those renting with human dependants. It is a fact that human dependants are never prohibited from co-habitation with the renter and are never faced with additional charges. It is biased and unfair that human dependants are not charged an additional monetary deposit for said housing or offered housing at a higher rent price when non-human dependants are almost always faced with either or both, typically referred to as "pet rent" and "pet deposit." In the United States by the Fair Housing Act, it is unlawful to deny equal opportunity housing rights on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or familial status. I agree that "familial status" should be revised under the Fair Housing Act to include non-human dependants, many of whom can remain and reside with renters just as long as children can!

Furthermore, I agree that human dependants are equally or even more likely than non-human dependants to cause physical damage to said housing, which is the irrational fear and excuse behind species-based discrimination by landlords and/or owners. I agree that it is discriminatory to deny non-human dependants of equal housing access, to charge a higher rent price where non-human dependants will live, and/or to charge an additional deposit amount where non-human dependants are disclosed habitants, when none of the above is applied to human dependants.

For an equal and just solution, I propose that human dependants are charged equally and in the same manner as non-human dependants when applying for housing to rent anywhere in the United States, and that the Fair Housing Act be revised to include non-human dependants in the definition of "family" and "familial status."