Landlords are being warned of the legal implications of placing adverts in shop windows targeting tenants of a particular race or religion.
It has long been the case in the UK that open racial and religious discrimination is not only abhorrent but also against the law, and property investors cannot advertise for tenants of a certain creed. However, it appears that the desperate housing shortage in London is driving many people into becoming reluctant landlords and many could be breaking the law in a bid to cut costs. Costs that include landlord insurance quotes.
A BBC investigation found many adverts in local shops especially in London seemingly transgressing the law when advertising for house sharers and flat mates. Instances of adverts seeking a particular race or religion were rife and included one person advertising a room for a “professional single lady or Sri Lankan professional couple”. Another blatant ad asked for “Filipinos only” while another shop had a card placed saying “house for rent, only Asian families”.
Incredibly it seems that many people believe that racial discrimination only applies to jobs, in fact it covers most aspects of UK life although the BBC investigation has started a lively debate. Many people see a difference between a professional landlord advertising for a particular type of tenant in a completely different light to a live-in landlord being forced to rent out part of his home to financially survive.
Discrimination law expert, Dr Nuno Ferreira, believes the laws on discrimination cover all groups, saying: “It doesn’t make any difference if the landlord lives in the premises or not. This distinction will have a bearing on discrimination on other grounds, but not in relation to race or ethnicity. The same applies to tenants looking for a housemate.”
However, Chris Norris, from the National Landlords Association, wasn’t sure if the law was so clean cut, commenting: “It is not clear whether tenants who do the same are breaking the law or not, although such behaviour is discriminatory against other potential housemates.”
Mr Norris did offer a possible solution to the problem though, saying: “Tenants looking for new housemates should focus on describing the house’s current occupants so that potential applicants can judge for themselves whether they would be a suitable fit or not.”