Executive Towers at Lido settles over alleged discrimination involving emotional support animals
Executive Towers at Lido in Long Beach reached a settlement a fair housing non-profit after allegedly telling testers that emotional support animals were not allowed. Credit: Jim Staubitser
The owners of a Long Beach apartment complex settled with a fair housing nonprofit over allegations that it discriminated against prospective tenants with emotional support animals.
The Executive Towers at Lido, at 854 East Broadway in Long Beach, reached a settlement with Long Island Housing Services Inc. after the private, fair housing organization discovered that the apartment complex told testers posing as tenants that emotional support animals were not allowed, a violation of fair housing law, the nonprofit announced Tuesday.
As part of the settlement, reached in February, the landlord must pay the nonprofit $7,000 and make numerous changes to its rental policies.
"Emotional support animals are like other things that people with disabilities need in order to live their lives," said Ian Wilder, executive director of Bohemia-based Long Island Housing Services. Denying accommodations "would be like telling someone that they can't use glasses or a wheelchair."
The fair housing group filed a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights in August 2024 accusing the landlord, superintendent and management company with "an unlawful discriminatory practice relating to housing based on disability."
Officials with Executive Towers at Lido LLC, the owner of the multi-family rental complex, as well as the apartment's management company, Melville Management Associates, did not respond to requests for comment.
According to fair housing laws, denying a "reasonable accommodation," such as the use of an assistance animal, to a disabled individual "is considered discrimination under the fair housing laws," according to New York State Homes and Community Renewal, a state agency that oversees the building and protection of affordable housing.
LIHS said it discovered the issue as part of "regular fair housing investigations," the nonprofit said in its announcement.
Starting in September 2023, trained testers with LIHS posed as potential renters and spoke with the property's superintendent, asking about their policy on emotional support animals, according to the complaint. Testers repeated their requests to the apartment complex at least three more times in January and July 2024, the complaint said.
Testers were told multiple times by the property's superintendent that the complex "did not accept animals," despite the tester first explaining that the emotional support animal would be for her husband who has a mental disability, according to the complaint.
As part of the settlement, apartment complex employees must complete fair housing training. The complex must also adopt an anti-discrimination and disability and accommodation policy, and amend its rental applications and website to reflect its acceptance of emotional support animals, according to nonprofit.
Long Islanders who believe they may be the victim of housing discrimination can call LIHS at (631) 567-5111 ext. 375, or email info@lifairhousing.org.
