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News Topical, Digital Desk : A shocking case of landlord arbitrariness has come to light in London. An investigation by the Daily Telegraph found that private landlords across London are illegally advertising for Muslim and Hindu tenants.
The information was obtained from several listings posted on social media platforms Facebook, Gumtree, and Telegram. They include phrases such as "For Muslims only," "For 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls," and "Muslims preferred." Other ads say "Suitable for a Punjabi boy," or directly appeal to Gujarati speakers, or people from Kerala and Haryana. Some ads say "For Hindus only."
Such advertisements are in direct violation of the UK Equality Act
However, such advertisements are a potential breach of the UK's Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, sex, race and other protected characteristics. The Equality and Human Rights Commission considers this to be an example of unlawful advertising.
Nevertheless, similar advertisements are being placed across London. On Facebook, these ads can be found on pages such as "Renting room in London for Muslims" and "Muslim rents." The Daily Telegraph found dozens of listings on Telegram seeking tenants of specific genders, religions, and nationalities; all of these listings are potentially illegal.
There is some exemption in the law
To test this further, when a Daily Telegraph reporter went to book a room, a landlord offering a room "only for Muslims" asked for their religion and asked them to leave. An official from the National Residential Landlords Association explained that if a landlord lives in the same property and shares some basic amenities (such as a kitchen or bathroom) with the tenant, they may be somewhat more likely to advertise preferential treatment for tenants of a particular religion or gender.
Yes, but the condition is that there should be no discrimination based on race. Instead, people are advertising to people who adhere to a particular religion or philosophical belief. This is a clear example of direct discrimination and is therefore prohibited under the Equality Act 2010.
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