AIBU and over sensitive or is this against the law?

[Wishforsnow]

Just looking on my local Facebook pages and someone is renting a room. They are looking for a working Asian female only. It just seems wrong that you can advertise specifying race and work status. OK maybe get the work to ensure paying bills. Is it worth reporting to the moderators for the site?

My understanding is that people renting out a room in the house they live in are not covered by the same housing laws as other landlords.

There is some debate as to whether the race equality laws extend to cover this.

The answer as to whether these ads are against the law is......they might be. But they might not. If they are by people renting out a room in the house they live in the law is unclear and no precedent has so far been set.

It is illegal. But it doesn't really matter, because if they are only going to let to an Asian female, for example, that is who they will pick from who applies, whether they say so or not. You can stop people advertising that way but you can't stop them doing it in practice.

Are the rules different if you're renting a room in your own home, rather than a flat or house?

I don't think it's altogether unreasonable to prefer a particular sort of person if they're going to be sharing your home.
At least it would save wasting the time of people you'd probably only say no to.

I get the it does save wasting people's time. I just can't imagine a only whites need apply for a room advert not ending up in the newspapers. Maybe I've just not ever seen any.

Am surprised at the post on here stating that they've seen adverts for house shares from LGBT community asking for applicants only from LGBT. Especially when Christians can't advertise for heterosexual couples only at their B&B's. Seems a bit like double standards.

My mom rents out a room in her house and her online adverts always specify male only. I've always found it odd but she said she won't share with a woman.

Wish they probably go around that by not accepting anyone non white,or require a list of "qualities " that in their prejudiced minds would apply to whites only,or sometimes specifying by country(especially if they're from the same countries).
I guess the difference might come from i dont want blacks because they do x,y,z and that is bad compared to i want muslims because they do x,y,z and i do the same and that's good and it suits me.

You'd probably be shot down if you advertised for the converse. However you can live with who you want and culturally etc might be a preference so let it go.

If it's just a room in someone's house they can do whatever they want, surely?! If I wanted to rent out a room tomorrow, I couldn't possibly be breaking the law by specifying female only, could I?

I assume it would be ok to specify something like "Cantonese speakers only" though? That seems more reasonable than specifying a racial group. Not exactly sure what the person's motivation is though apart from looking for someone who may have a similar background.

I'd just let it go on the grounds that it will save the time of someone who doesn't meet the criteria.

I don't think 'double standards' really applies in that context, live. But LGBT people are discriminated against like that loads, even if it's not explicated in adverts.

Maybe if advertising for Asian woman only, the person is obviously a female Asian herself, and wants to share the house with someone who shares the perimeters of her religious demands, such as only having halal food on the premises, no male visitors outside family members, and no alcohol etc. I can see why that would be important to someone in that situation tbh.

It is pretty common I agree and someone should probably try and test these against the law if it bothered that much.

I sometimes wonder if those who are advertising know about the discrimination laws. There are plenty of flats out there advertised for female only so that could be challenged along with the race and religion ones as well.

Really surprised now that IABU will keep an eye out for whites only ads. Bet the reaction on here would be different. Guess I should head for flouncers corner

I agree with livelovebehappy

I think it's worse when a specific group of people are discouraged from applying. e.g. No Asians/ White etc

I can't believe the law forbids you not want to share with the opposite sex. Who allowed that?!

will keep an eye out for whites only ads. Bet the reaction on here would be different

It is different though. Doesn't mean its ok, but it is different. Very.

Wish it's not that YABU . Tbh no idea what the law would be when renting a room in your own home.
Guess when it comes to whites only..what characteristics would someone look for besides skin colour? And would it be that they want those characteristics or that they don't want blacks for example?
Whereas muslims only would encompass certain characteristics that do belong only to muslim people. And that's what's wanted.
Dunno if I'm explaining well.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/housing/discrimination-in-housing/what-are-the-different-types-of-discrimination-in-housing/what-doesn-t-count-as-unlawful-discrimination-in-housing/

Basically it seems that if you're sharing the property then you're allowed to discriminate.

But stating that you they must be Asian? Or Muslim? Surely that is some form of racism?

No, it's not racism. Racism is the systematic oppression and disadvantages experienced by BME people. Some BME people may be prejudiced to white people, but this is not comparable to racism.

Simply put, Morgan said reverse racism doesn't exist and a person who claims otherwise is "outing themselves as someone who has little to no experience or knowledge of what racism is."

Racism is based on a couple of things—historical, systemic oppression and power, Morgan explained. And as far as history goes, white people have never been persecuted for the colour of their skin—so there's no point comparing their experiences to those of black, brown, and Indigenous folks.

"It's slavery, colonialism, theft all kinds of violations on systemic proportions... versus feelings being hurt."

Link

I think it's illegal to specify race if renting a whole property but legal if you're renting a room in your own home

To be honest I think it's fair enough, why waste everyone else's time. Ok you cam certainly say it's not good to want to share with someone only of one race, and yes skin colour rather than Nationality would be an issue. So only Asian can apply, or only English can apply, or only polish can apply, whatever, it's your home and if that's what you want to do, why force them to fake interview everyone else.

Different if you're renting out a whole property but I think a room in a home is different,

Pig well if you are a single female for example not wanting to share your living space with a man,should you be made to? Or sued if you won't/specify i. Your add women only? That's discrimination based on gender,and everywhere else would be wrong.
I guess it's entirely different when you share living space. You can't,and don't know if you even should,dictate who someone should share their living space with.