I visited one of my properties tonight and got an unpleasant surprise. A tenant had placed a Jared Polis sign in her window. Polis is a Boulder limousine liberal. He is detestable for many reasons and he's running for governor.

I wondered if I have a way to get the sign gone. I do! My leases have a clause that states that no tenant-owned signs are visible from outside of the building. Bingo!

Go Jeff!

Not about the candidate but about you keeping your building looking neat.

My lease is clear: only the provided mini blinds or vertical blinds may be visible from the street.

BRAD

I am with Dan, whether the tenant's political leaning matches mine or not, they have a right to voice it. I may ask them to put it out on the lawn, since that is the usual place to put political signs. I do take our freedoms seriously, even if I am in the Vampire State.

Now I may chose not to renew with this tenant if their political leanings are very different from mine. Especially if they tend to go with the party that likes to control every little aspect of our lives! Of course I don't believe in that and don't try to control every little aspect of my tenant's lives either.

I don't want any signs, flags, or yard decorations other than butterflies and unicorns ;)

My lease says, "No flags, other than the American Flag, may be flown where they are visible to the exterior. No decorations that may be offensive to any protected class, other residents or neighbors may be placed on the property."

LindaJ, I don't think you understand the basics of freedoms and property rights. If you work, you might want to try hanging a political sign on your office door. Let us know how it goes!

I have not researched this issue in a long time, but I know that many states have decided this issue in favor of Tenant's rights to political speech that is, that the landlord does not have a right to silence his tenant's protected political speech.

Incorrect, Mike45.

(I am having trouble posting this - getting that annoying message saying that they have to review this. Not sure why).

The tenant could pay to advertise in any media. She could put a sticker on her car, she could stand on the street with a loudspeaker, etc.

The 1st Amendment only prohibits GOVT infringing on rights of citizens. I don't know if that's where folks are citing a "right" to free speech for tenant's, but my understanding is private land lords can allow/prohibit any and all type of speech on privately owned property.

SID, you are correct about what free speech means. Lot's of people don't understand it.

Apparently in NYC, for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments, "a landlord cannot evict a tenant for a window sign."

www.nytimes.com/2016/10/02/realestate/posting-political-signs-in-the-window-is-your-right-isnt-it.html

Freedom of speech? What if your tenant puts up a swastika. Maybe a white supremacist on one end of the spectrum or implying about the current administration on the other, or just to be nasty about the landlord.

Jeff[CO]: Other than your own opinion, do you have any authority for asserting that I am wrong?

Here is a law review article on the subject of a Tenant's right to political expression. The article is not just the opinions of the authors, but provides an analysis of the right as determined by several courts. I tend to place far more credence in the law review article than in Jeff[CO] talking ex cathedra without any citations or analysis.

https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1234&context=sulr

I also refer you to Californbia Civil Code section 1940.4.

The danger of relying on your own belly button instead of researching!

Mike45, you can believe what you want. But here in the real world things are different.

In the court cases that I have read about, the courts have sided with landlords. You don't understand that the First Amendment doesn't allow the GOVERNMENT to abridge someone's right to free speech. It has nothing to do with private business relations. Nothing.

HOAs have similar rules.

An apartment building is private property, and even today the owner has a lot of control. If a lease has a no-signs clause it is positively legal.

Try checking into a hotel and putting a sign in the window. If you work, hang a political sign on your door and see how long it lasts.

Not long. And if you tried to sue you would lose.

Whether or not I have the right to deny them the ability to put a sign up, I do take our American rights seriously, so I would not stop them from doing it. I might remind them, the locals don't like such signs and if they break the window, they will be responsible for the cost of it.

I believe rules and laws need to be enforced and enforced equally. So if you have rule that there are no signs in the window, then you should be going after them for the say.. "happiness" sign in the window. What if they painted something on the back of their curtains... Where does that fall in the sign situation? How do you define sign?

Linda, you don't understand the First Amendment. You also sound very emotional. Landlording is a business.

My leases state that NO signs are to be visible from outside of the unit. Period.

I do understand the first amendment... it is not the first amendment I am talking about... I am talking about allowing people the right to their opinions on my property after I rented to them... My choice to do that.

You can regulate their signs if you chose. I chose not to because of my beliefs. It it not an emotional issue. It is what I believe.

One of the differences you and I have is that I think people should have the ability to make their choices and not be regulated by government or landlords or family. The FEW rules I have for tenants protect my investment in the property, not regulate every little thing they do under the guise of protecting it. And as I have said many times. We all live in different areas of the country have different things that work for all of us... this forum is where we can learn what works for others to help us.

This is the USA where we can have different opinions or at least should.

Well...problem, issue...it has been neither for me so far.

There are a few problems with window signs. First, they look trashy. They do nothing to make the property look more attractive. They are also dumb. No one cares who you are voting for, And a sign in someone's window just says that - it doesn't convince anyone to vote for the candidate.

Unless you are a celebrity or a politician, there are very few advantages in drawing attention to yourself (bumper stickers, window signs, demonstrating, etc.)

Side note:

W's comment about putting up something offensive reminded me

My lease is clear: No offensive or vulgar decorations such as gory or murderous Halloween items. Management is final authority on this matter.