Jones reversing course, will fight landlord at rent board
What a difference a week makes — or a rally.Longtime gay activist Cleve Jones has decided that, actually, he'd like to fight his new landlord who wants to see him leave his Castro neighborhood home.As the Bay Area Reporter reported March 24, Jones initially decided to leave the Castro due to a tense dispute he's having with Lily Li Pao Kue, the new owner of the building he's been renting a rent-controlled unit in for several years.Kue alleged Jones bringing Brenden Chadwick to live with him was against the lease.
Jones said that doesn't matter due to San Francisco rent laws. Kue then alleged Jones' primary residence is in Guerneville, where he bought what he describes as a "very small cottage, under 1,000 square feet." Jones alleges that Kue is trying to push him out of the Castro unit so she can put it up on Airbnb.
Through Jones, Chadwick declined to comment.Kue has cameras trained on Jones' door, both agree, and is doing construction upstairs.Jones, who said he is drawing attention to his situation to shine a light on what he considers abusive behavior by landlords, told the B.A.R.
that he decided that actually he'd like to stay and fight because it'd be hypocritical not to."I was packing when Brenden and I decided we weren't going to fight it," Jones said. "I felt a great sense of relief — for about two hours.
