Benefit claimants face landlord discrimination despite ruling

In August 2020, the BBC Shared Data Unit reported thousands of landlords were trying to avoid renting their properties to benefit claimants, despite a judge ruling a blanket ban was unlawful.

About 75% of more than 9,000 listings on the website OpenRent said the landlords would not accept people on benefits.

It came after the ruling a single mother-of-two had experienced indirect discrimination when a letting agent refused to rent to her. That case established “persuasive authority” in law rather than a legal precedent, so it may have helped guide other courts in reaching future decisions, but was not binding.

OpenRent said it advised landlords to assess tenants “on their own merits”.

Data and sources

The data and background methodology released to partners is available here:

• Background
• Data

Interviews and quotes

• Kurzon and Helen Morris who were both unable to work because they had myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. They had been looking for 16 months for a property in north-west England.
• Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter
• The Equality and Human Right Commission (EHRC)
• OpenRent founder Adam Hyslop
• Daniel Twycross, who had been on benefits for most of his life and had been trying to rent somewhere in Sowerby Bridge to be closer to a friend.
• The National Residential Landlords Association’s deputy director for policy and research, John Stewart

Partner usage

The Shared Data Unit makes data journalism available to the wider news industry as part of the BBC Local News Partnership.
Stories written by partners based on this research included:

• Cornish Stuff: Outdated, grossly unfair ‘No DSS’ bans have got to go 28 August 2020
• The Irish News: Eight in 10 Belfast landlords flouting the law with benefits ban 28 August 2020
• Islington Gazette: Analysis finds minority of Islington properties on rental site accept benefit claimants
• The Oban Times: No DSS rental ads are ‘discriminatory’ 28 August 2020
• Surrey Live: Most Surrey landlords won’t rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• Wigan Today: Wigan landlords still dislike renting to benefits claimants 28 August 2020
• Welwyn Hatfield Times: Over 90 per cent of Welwyn Hatfield landlords ‘unlawful and discriminatory’ to refuse housing benefit 28 August 2020
• Liverpool Echo: Majority of Merseyside landlords won’t rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• Peterborough Matters: Why benefit claimants find it so hard to rent in Peterborough 28 August 2020
• East London & West Essex Guardian: London landlords refusing to rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• Watford Observer: Many landlords in Watford refusing to rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• Hendon & Finchley Times: London landlords refusing to rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• Harrow Times: Many landlords in Watford refusing to rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• Gedling Eye: Gedling borough landlords still won’t rent properties to benefits claimants 28 August 2020
• Epping Forest Guardian: Most Epping Forest landlords banning benefit claimants (DSS) 28 August 2020
• Hillingdon & Uxbridge Times: https://www.hillingdontimes.co.uk/news/18682326.london-landlords-discriminate-tenants-benefits/ 28 August 2020
• Ealing Times: London landlords refusing to rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• The Tottenham & Wood Green Independent: London landlords refusing to rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• Enfield Independent: London landlords refusing to rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• This Is Local London: London landlords refusing to rent to people on benefits 28 August 2020
• In Your Area: The landlords discriminating against benefit claimants 28 August 2020
• Biddulph Nub News: Most Moorlands property listings prefer not to rent to people on benefits after judge rules ban unlawful 28 August 2020
• Portsmouth: The News: Renters on benefits still being discriminated against by landlords despite ‘no DSS’ ban 28 August 2020
• Sunderland Echo: Renters on benefits in Sunderland are still being discriminated against, with landlords banning DSS despite law change 29 August 2020
• Wales: The Leader: Benefits claimants facing discrimination when trying to rent 30 August 2020
• News Shopper: London landlords refusing to rent to people on benefits 31 August 2020
• Northumberland Gazette: Renters on benefits in Northumberland are still being discriminated against, with landlords banning DSS despite law change 1 September 2020
• Dorset Echo: Plans for Weymouth pub to be transformed into supported flats for ex-homeless 1 September 2020
• Nantwich News: More than 80% OpenRent Cheshire East properties ban DSS 2 September 2020
• Cornish Times: Housing benefit recipients still facing discrimination despite ruling 2 September 2020
• Northamptonshire Telegraph: Housing benefit banned by majority of rental properties in Kettering and Wellingborough, despite being unlawful 5 September 2020

The story was also used by BBC South Today.

Other usage

• The Big Issue: Landlords refuse benefit claimants despite Shelter court win 28 August 2020
• The Independent: Landlords still refusing to let to benefits claimants, despite court ban on discrimination 1 September 2020
• In December the BBC Visual Journalism team looked at the issue, too, finding “thousands of listings on [Zoopla and Rightmove] that seemed open to benefits claimants, where the same property advertised on OpenRent did exclude them.”

Related repos

You can find all coronavirus-related stories by the BBC data units tagged ‘coronavirus’ here

We also looked at ‘No DSS’ adverts in 2017