Personal Questions When Seeking an Apartment

Currently I am seeking a new apartment, and I do not feel that at the beginning I have to tell people my name since that puts me at a severe disadvantage, and they can even use it against me, as once happened, if they don't want a certain kind of person in their building or neighborhood. At this stage I am only inquiring to find out if the apartment is suitable for me to rent. The information I ask for is the square footage, a copy of the floor plan, and pictures, if there is a refrigerator and washer and dryer, and if there is a place to build a Sukkah, and the location. However, often I encounter those who want to know my name right away, and some who refuse to give any more information until I reveal my name to them. They also want to know my marital status, and if I tell them I am divorced without children, sometimes they will not rent the apartment to me, they will say it is only for newlyweds or families. Again, I don’t feel they have a right to insist on knowing my name or marital status or any other personal information at the beginning. They also never tell me their name. Am I wrong?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question!

The landlord is entitled to ask your name, marital status, or any other question before giving you any information on the apartment should he wish to do so.

You can either accept the condition (name-for-information) and give him your name, or you can refuse to do so and simply continue your search for a landlord that does not require your name to merely give out information.

Although being asked such questions might be uncomfortable, doing so is pretty standard for the most part, and therefore, halachically permissible and legitimate. These are halachic concepts known as “kol tnai b’mamom kayam,” “minhag hasocharim,” and “situmta” from where we learn that normative practice in society is halachically binding.

If asking for such information is against the law in the place you live, you may be able to complain or prosecute the individual, however, it will likely not be worthwhile in the end.

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