UPDATE Private landlords advertising properties to let 'no children'

[darcymum]

Anyone remember my petition to make it illegal for private landlords to refuse to accept families in suitable accommodation? I thought I would give you an update on some of the things I have been doing.

I have contacted Shelter and they are having their campaign team look into it.

I have contacted the Equality and Human Right Commission, they are looking into it.

I have been trying to find out what the situation is in other countries and have yet to find anywhere (apart from the UK) that discrimination against children and families in this way is legal.

Here is the petition if you want to sign it.

petitions.number10.gov.uk/Childlands/

Somebody has set up a group on Facebook

www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=187567633950

and for the record we let have let our house out to a family with no problems whatsoever. I was actually pleased a family wanted to move in as I think they might stay put for a while!

darcymum Here is a link to the official tenancy discrimination information for New Zeland. You will see that the list of unlawful discrimination includes both family status (children/no children) and welfare benefit status. I hope this is helpful in your lobbying. If you look further within the 'Tenancy' section on this website you will also see a lot of other documents which might be useful for you, e.g. sample tenancy agreement forms, etc. HTH.

Quint, I warned you about that tenant!

Next time you smell a rat, don't let the place out to them, be they students, professionals, what have you.

Thanks a lot ponymum.

I suspect I have got years ahead of me banging my head against this brick wall.

Anyone got any ideas how I can promote the petition? I need to get 500 signatures by November.

Have you put a thread in chat with 'renters please look here' ?

I remember the previous thread. I won't be signing the petition myself. But if you're prepared to pay the ad space, you could promote it by putting and ad amongst the 'to let' ads in the local papers.
Children's centres/surestart noticeboards?

Thanks for the ideas. I think the petition is acutally going to be the least important thing I do but I still want it to work.

Also it makes people think about it.

Do you think MNHQ would be interested in getting behind this? I think it is a really important issue for families and it would be worth asking.

Also, have you spoken to your local MP and asked what resources and avenues for lobby they would suggest? If you point out how many other countries this is illegal in, based on human rights conventions, they will certainly give you some time to look at the issue with you.

Signed!

Thank you Scourgeofthesteelymoon, want a free manicure?

United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child here. The first of the four core principles is non-discrimination against children. The UK government has ratified this convention but the tenancy laws are out of step with this commitment, which specifically includes provision of basic social needs. You have got such a strong legal argument here.

I mean, what do they think non-discrimination against children means? Imagine if a rental property was advertised as 'not suitable for gays' or 'Sorry, no Blacks'?

I have contacted the Equality and Human Rights Commission about the UNCRC but they said is not within their remit (!) Don't know why, any lawyers out there?

The UK has to report back to the UN on this every 5 years (I have been doing a lot of reading!) If after I have done everything I can, written to everyone I can think of and still don't get anywhere I plan to write to the UN before admitting defeat.

I have also asked the EHRC to look at a couple of articles in the Human Rights Act, they are taking a bit of time getting back to me on this so I think it might have stumped them a bit.

I have signed petition, though as a long term renter who moves frequently I personally haven't had a problem with this at all. I don't remember seeing any properties I've been interested in on right move over the last few years being advertised as 'no children' (they're nearly always 'no pets'). Is it something that varies a lot by geography/ local supply and demand?

Locally to me its about 15% of 2 and 3 beds that ban children and a further 20% that place restrictions on them. I know that it is not just a local problem though it is long-standing and widespread.

I also happen to be a private landlord myself and 'are you willing to accept children' is a standard tick box question they ask.

Ponymum, want a free manicure?

darcy Ha ha, I don't think you could do much with these stumpy practical but not very glamourlous hands! But a pedicure in a few months (when I can no longer see my toes) would be very welcome. Do you do house calls to North Yorkshire?

Heres some links to a few local examples of 'no children' ads:
here
here
here
here

why is this bad?
surely if you dont want kids oyu dont have to have em

Why on earth should I be made to rent my house to a family with children if I don't want to?

Has it not occurred to you that by forcing landlords to take children the likely outcome will be a shortage in housing and/or increased rents.

Landlords will also demand larger deposits if they take children and those landlords who are not taking children will likely follow suit because it wont be unusual.

Ponymum, thanks that's all a great help.

I need hands/ feet to practise on because I am training to be a beauty therapist, your a bit too far though as I live in Devon.

Nancydrewrocks, I can't imagine many landlords would sit sulking over empty properties, if they wanted to leave (or not enter) the buy to let market they would sell. As a large proportion of buy to let properties are the sort that appeal to first time buyers, less competition for these may result in a price fall. This could enable people who currently rent to buy a home, so, I have no problem with landlords leaving the market.

I am sure this argument was raised in the 'no blacks, no irish' days.

Signed - what a brilliant petition! I'm a single mum on a low income with one child and one dog ... it was HELL trying to find somewhere that would accept all of us! I found that some letting agents are more strict than others. One tip for those with kids/pets - farmers are much more understanding than town landlords and living in the countryside is better too!!

Thanks JajaT, pass it on to your friends.

darcymum I don't really know what you mean by 'sit sulking over empty properties' but I doubt very much that the properties will sit empty they will simply charge more to rent to families (which many do anyway) and as a result all rents get pushed up.

I think we all know that landlords charge the maximum amount of rent they can. Its supply and demand the numbers of unit available would not change unless landlords sold and decided not to compete with first time buyers for property. So as I said, unless they sulked about it and refused to rent out property choosing to leave it empty I don't see how rents would be forced up.

I know a few people with experience of this, with children, forced into the worst accepting accommodation available because nobody else wants children.

The person I know who was evicted while pregnant because her landlord didn't want a child living in the house, is now living in a house without heating because she couldn't find anywhere else.

Other countries don't let that happen.

Ponymum, I have thought about asking MNHQ if they can get involved, but I'm a bit worried they might kick me off the boards for not asking before I put my petition up.

What do you think? Worth the risk?