Not allowed to view a property based on race / nationality

[Oysterbabe]

A family I know are looking for a property to rent. They are Vietnamese and own a nail bar. They have been told by the agent today that they are not allowed to view a property they are interested in because the landlord does not want to rent it to someone who is Vietnamese. The agent also mentioned that they have had issues with people with nail bars subletting to their family.

Can they do this? It seems incredibly unfair. This is a lovely family who work hard and run a successful business, nothing shady about them at all. It just seems incredibly unfair that they can write them off without knowing anything about them based mostly on their race, I strongly suspect if it was British family who run a nail bar it wouldn't be an issue.

caring So you are saying that you are incapable of understanding this, which sets out exactly which documents a tenant, regardless of where they come from, and it quite clearly states you should be doing these checks even if you think a family is British, needs to have? I agree that it is wrong for the government to make landlords their border officials but at the same time this is not exactly rocket science..... www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-rent-document-checks-a-user-guide

I think this is reasonable law or not.

You know what, good landlords, it is people like caring who give you a bad reputation.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. They aren't going to make a complaint unfortunately, they said that they have experienced this kind of thing many times and just accept it. Some of the statements on this thread are really depressing.

They've found somewhere else that they like, taken all the required documents in to the letting agent and been told they should be able to move in next month.

They are breaking anti-discrimination laws regarding not letting a property on the grounds of racial bias. However they are not breaking the law to stipulate that no business be run from the property. They are not breaking the law to stipulate no sub letting.

Just seen your update Oysterbabe :)
Good to hear

I am not a bad ll. I treat my tenants very well. I always get repair done quickly, provide 1600ss on washing machines and if any tenants get married or have children always give generous gifts. I have even been invited to a tenant wedding in past. I have all except once given full deposits back and accepted late rent after birth of child etc. I only increase rent every 4 years and I have most tenants staying 4-8 years. I don't do constant checks on properties and offer choice of 6 or 12 month leases. My tenants tell me I am good ll.

I'm just relaying this from the real world, it's not meant to cause offence.

I have a property, I have two prospective tenants. One of the tenants comes from a back ground where there is a serious record of subletting which in turn becomes a nightmare for the landlord.

The other tenant doesn't come from a background that has that reputation.

Shall I take a gamble or go with the potentially safer bet? This is, after all, a business......

They aren't going to make a complaint unfortunately, they said that they have experienced this kind of thing many times and just accept it

Probably the saddest part of this thread .

We should all feel a collective shame rather than the warm glow some people will be feeling

And if the property has been available for a month with little interest do you not even let a family view it based on your stereotypes of their race?

Where do you get your information that it is mostly British people involved in human trafficing and modern slavery?