Migrant workers face rental block

Mr_Matey

Disgraceful illegal activity by EAs.

This has nothing to do with references or chasing bills.

In the example of 2 professionals the Polish guy doesn't even get a look in, despite having lived in the UK for 4 years (plenty of references I'm sure).

And let's say you said "No Iraqis" like they did on the video, and a political refugee was looking to rent. Not much chance of them running back to Iraq, is there?

The EAs don't try to assess either of these points before turning away the Polish guy.

This is racism. The only good thing I can think of, is that the landlords and EAs participating in this kind of activity will have a harder time renting out properties, and may get less £ for them.

I wonder if I'd be treated the same way as an Australian "foreigner". I doubt it...

Generali

Mr_Matey wrote: »

I wonder if I'd be treated the same way as an Australian "foreigner". I doubt it...

Of course not. As a [white?] Australian you're not really a foreigner in the UK.

In a very similar way, as a white Pom I'm not really foreign in Aus when compared to the Lebs and other Wogs(sic).

I'm a Pom not a foreigner: it's taken me a while to appreciate the difference. It's much the same for you in the UK I guess.

chewmylegoff

Mr_Matey wrote: »

I wonder if I'd be treated the same way as an Australian "foreigner". I doubt it...

i've seen it happen - viewed a flat a couple of years ago with two mates and the first question the agent asked was "are any of you antipodean as the landlady will not accept antipodean tenants".

was amused by the fact that the flat was advertised on gumtree!!

The_White_Horse

bo_drinker wrote: »

The large majority of uneducated Polish came here to do the jobs our layabout scum would not do. The real problem lies with this going on and not with whoever turns up to do these jobs. Our idle work shy lot should have been made to do these jobs in the first place, but a life on benefits is what they want, so the gap is there. Many have returned and now the !!!!!! is hitting the fan.

exactly. about time the workshy scum were forced to work. the new govt slogan can be: Scum - Work or Starve? its up to you.

Mr_Matey

chewmylegoff wrote: »

i've seen it happen - viewed a flat a couple of years ago with two mates and the first question the agent asked was "are any of you antipodean as the landlady will not accept antipodean tenants".

was amused by the fact that the flat was advertised on gumtree!!

She wouldn't take anyone from the southern hemisphere? What was she afraid they'd make the water go down the tap the wrong way?
:rotfl:

The_White_Horse

carolt wrote: »

Er...because it's illegal?

yes, we know that. the question is why? if you own a property, you should have absolute discretion over who you rent it to. If you want to narrow your client base down to women aged 30 with one leg - why not.

no different to women flat sharers looking for another woman. i suppose that is sexist is it?

Generali

The_White_Horse wrote: »

yes, we know that. the question is why? if you own a property, you should have absolute discretion over who you rent it to. If you want to narrow your client base down to women aged 30 with one leg - why not.

no different to women flat sharers looking for another woman. i suppose that is sexist is it?

Because the law is that you can only refuse to supply goods or services on non-proscribed grounds.

Proscribed grounds include sexual preference, race (Sikh and Jewish are races within law), sex and disability.

You can discriminate on the above grounds in certain circumstances, eg you can insist a rabbi is Jewish or a bra fitter is a woman.

chewmylegoff

Mr_Matey wrote: »

She wouldn't take anyone from the southern hemisphere? What was she afraid they'd make the water go down the tap the wrong way?
:rotfl:

well to be fair there are different sorts of aussies here - i don't expect the ones who are here for a year to do barwork and use london as a base for european jaunts make particularly good tenants. especially when there are 16 of them living in a 4 bed house.

of course plenty of the landlords letting the properties know what is going on, but some don't. the agent for this one said that she'd had a bad experience with some australian "backpackers". perhaps three of them rented the place and another 10 moved in.

carolt

The_White_Horse wrote: »

yes, we know that. the question is why? if you own a property, you should have absolute discretion over who you rent it to. If you want to narrow your client base down to women aged 30 with one leg - why not.

no different to women flat sharers looking for another woman. i suppose that is sexist is it?

I think the point is that previously the "no blacks, no Irish, no dogs" type of restrictions were - to most people - reprehensible. So the law was changed to fit in with the views of the majority.

You may disagree, but I believe the reason that it was made illegal to limit employment and housing to people of certain backgrounds was that a society where people of different skin colours/religions/nationalities found it impossible to get housed or employed would not just be a worse one for them but for everyone else too, on both moral and practical grounds; would you really prefer to be living somewhere with streets full of unemployed homeless people of varying ethnic groups? Or would you rather see Poles - as in this example - being able to live in a civilised fashion and work gainfully?

And the same laws apply to us abroad, if we fancy working and living abroad, as many Brits do.

Mr_Matey

chewmylegoff wrote: »

well to be fair there are different sorts of aussies here - i don't expect the ones who are here for a year to do barwork and use london as a base for european jaunts make particularly good tenants. especially when there are 16 of them living in a 4 bed house.

of course plenty of the landlords letting the properties know what is going on, but some don't. the agent for this one said that she'd had a bad experience with some australian "backpackers". perhaps three of them rented the place and another 10 moved in.

So why couldn't she specify that she'd only take professionals?

There are people of all backgrounds in London who try to pack in as many people as possible to save on rent, but there are a lot of good Aussie tenants too.

Which area are we talking about btw? Antipodeans/other migrants keep the rentals high in some areas, so to complain about them while pocketing high rent is a bit odd.