By Margie Palmer | SDUN Reporter

Sen. Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) has introduced legislation that will protect the rights of tenants who wish to display political signs in the windows of their rented apartments or homes.

At current, the California Associations of Realtor’s standard lease contains a provision that prohibits the display of signage. Failure to remove a sign from a window at the request of a property manager or landlord would constitute a breach of the rental agreement, which could lead to eviction.

Kehoe hopes the passage of the bill, entitled SB 337, would remedy that.

“Every Californian’s political views are and renters deserve the right to express their views just as much as homeowners,” Kehoe said in a recent statement. “Whether it’s posting a sign supporting a candidate or a neighborhood issue, there is no reason to continue this ‘second class’ status for the 40 percent of Californians who are renters.”

Uptown resident Jess Drew feels the passage of the bill is an important step in protecting renters from being penalized for having political views that differ from those of their landlord.

“Political affiliation has nothing to do with the contract a renter signs,” Drew said. “I can understand why someone would be reluctant to post a campaign or political sign because they don’t want to disrupt the relationship they have with their landlord, but people who are renters have just as much a vote in an election as the person who owns the property.”

Property managers, however, say the issue is not so cut and dry.

“My personal opinion is to not restrict tenants from expressing political views any different than property owners, but the situation is not as simple as it may sound,” San Diego-based realtor and property manager Kevin Knickerbocker said, who oversees properties within Uptown.

“Signage can create a number of risks for a property owner. For example, a sign improperly placed in a yard might pose a trip hazard in the public right-of-way,” he said.

Considerations to the posting of signs in multi-use properties, he said, also need to be considered.

“Displayed messages could create conflict between tenants, as religion and politics are often blended,” Knickerbocker said. “Such messages could easily create tensions amongst tenants and interrupt the tranquility of a particular apartment building.”

Despite these concerns, however, Knickerbocker said as long as certain protections were granted to landlords and property owners, he would support the bill.

“While I believe nearly everyone would agree that it’s important for everyone to have an opportunity to participate in the political process, doing so isn’t without risks,” he said. “Provided the property owners’ risks and costs are balanced fairly with the objective of the proposed bill, I believe tenants’ political expressions can be heard.