"Not so fast," says Justice Khang. "Yes, of course, there are limits to what tenants can do in a landlord's property, but usually those limits relate to things that would damage the property or involve criminal activity. I think we should interpret this law along similar lines.
"Owning a goldfish is not generally illegal, nor is a fishbowl in the kitchen likely to cause property damage, any more than a big pot of water is (and we're not banning people from making soup, are we?) Therefore, I think in the case of Tootsie, we ought to uphold the appeals court's decision. Mr. Myers should not be able to evict Ms. Smith because of a goldfish."