Agreed, even if you did regulate what they can and can't put in adverts you can't force them to accept any tenant that comes along so it would just waste everyone's time.
Flat adverts that may be breaking the law
- Thread starter danielanthony
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Agreed, even if you did regulate what they can and can't put in adverts you can't force them to accept any tenant that comes along so it would just waste everyone's time.
What if an employer didn't want Black or Asian workers in their workplace? Should they just advertise "no Black or Asians need apply" so that they don't waste their time going to the interview?
Exactly. The workers and the people who buy the services/goods from that company can make the decision to support that company or not.
That's the whole question of the article. Employment law would rightly call it discriminatory. The question is, should that law be extended to private landlords specifying the preferred ethnicity of their tenants.
It's not employment law, it's the Equality Act and I'm making the point that if it's applied to jobs, healthcare and education, why not accomodation which is another important aspect of everyone's life?
Well from the article we can see that these types of adverts are illegal. However, not all laws are right and clearly not everyone on OCUK will agree.
Sorry yes, Equality Act.
Well, jobs healthcare and education aren't under the control of private individuals renting their private property, hence my assertion that this is nothing more than an individual expressing their right to personal choice.
Well, jobs healthcare and education aren't under the control of private individuals renting their private property, hence my assertion that this is nothing more than an individual expressing their right to personal choice.
But isn't this a step backwards for racial and sexual equality? What if that employer was Thames Water or BP? People wouldn't be able to boycot those companies in protest.
Caporegime
send them back
Soldato
The people letting the properties out have the right to select a tenant who shares their religious nuances/lifestyle.
The problem here is that they are instantly stating that they will not consider anybody other than an asian person. That is racism, pure and simple.
Simply by wording the advert to say "note: this is a predominantly asian household" or something along those lines then anybody who they may have a "problem" with would be put off applying anyway.
Now of course if they truly do only want people of their own creed in the household even if the potential tenant follows their religion (but happens to be from a different part of humanity) or will be completely neutral, then that can only be read in one way quite frankly.
Social integration, that ultimately leads to the death of racism, can only happen when all sides embrace it...
The problem here is that they are instantly stating that they will not consider anybody other than an asian person. That is racism, pure and simple.
Simply by wording the advert to say "note: this is a predominantly asian household" or something along those lines then anybody who they may have a "problem" with would be put off applying anyway.
Now of course if they truly do only want people of their own creed in the household even if the potential tenant follows their religion (but happens to be from a different part of humanity) or will be completely neutral, then that can only be read in one way quite frankly.
Social integration, that ultimately leads to the death of racism, can only happen when all sides embrace it...
I think you'll find there are private hospitals and schools. And none of them, I am ready to be corrected, filter patients or pupils by race at least. What if the BNP set up a school for white English kids only, totally ok as they are expressing a personal choice. I would imagine that such a school would be quite popular in certain parts of the country but it is not allowed to happen because it would rightly be deemed as having a racist entry policy.
I hear that people are saying that your home should be considered differently, but most people spend 9 hours per day at work and have to interact with the other people they work with regardless of race, gender or religion. So if we are saying that we don't want to live with people different to ourselves surely this would also mean we don't want to work with different types of people either?
Soldato
Agreed. My Dad used to be very wary of having Asian (Sikh) Uni students (guys) in our rented property as they'd too often get drunk and have no self control and smash things up. Yes we've had it with other ethnicities too but they were terrible.
No, I don't think outlawing racism makes people less racist. It would, however, be a step forward in freedom.
Their workers could still leave. What are the chances that their board of directors are all white supremacists?
What motivation is there to do damage your company's image like that?
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Man of Honour
Don't see a problem with the landlords looking for a specific type of tenant, but they could do it in a more subtle and polite way.
Caporegime
If people are letting out a property; absolutely should be covered by equality law and punishments should start being handed out. I think, however, that where you're looking for someone to live with - i.e. a flat or house share - then it should be permissible to discriminate on whatever grounds you choose.
It may not be desirable; but it should be permissible.
It may not be desirable; but it should be permissible.
But would this not also apply if you owned a company and employed workers? Would that give you the right to only employ Polish people because you simply don't like anyone else?
If you own a company I would argue that you would feel as strongly about having people who fit the company ethos would be as important to you as having the right flatmate.
I think you know what I mean, I was just trying to make the distinction between established bodies and private individuals.
I'm not quite sure I follow your point, but the difference is, it's YOUR home and YOUR choice to decide who to live there. Much as I think landlords shouldn't discriminate based on race, I don't think we should take that choice away from them.
Whether you like it or not, as much as we strive to be a multicultural community, there are still divides between different ethnic groups. Personally, I don't see this as particularly unnatural, and if people don't want to integrate in the private sphere of their own homes, and as long as they aren't hurting anyone else, that's fine and I see no need to legislate against that choice.
No, because there are laws in place to prevent discrimination in that case, and rightly so.
I am talking about someone living in the house/flat with you. The law should not encroach on an individual's right to choose who they let into their own home, for whatever reason. Agreed that these adverts could be worded somewhat more sensitively but your own home is somewhere you should be free of interference from the authorities.
Soldato
Agreed
I also think there's a big difference between work and home.
When you're at work it's a professional environment, and you're expected to act as such.
When you're at home, it's your personal space, you don't want to be forced to live in a certain way because of who you're forced to live with.
Better to tell people what you want and don't want on the advert otherwise there is going to be awkwardness further down the line. If the law was enforced on these adverts, more creative language would be used but nothing would come of it.