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Sexual descrimination

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Mishomeister
Mishomeister Posts: 1,080 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
edited 26 June 2011 at 5:47PM in House buying, renting & selling
Hi, just looking to rent the studio in London, however beeing buttered too much by a female-ony adverts. Whilst understandable that live-in landladies don't want to live with men for security purposes etc.
There are plenty of this type of adverts:

http://www.gumtree.com/p/flats-houses/studio-flat-to-rent-in-hounslow-central/82822722

Brand New Studio Flat available for rent in Hounslow Central, Around 8-10 Mins walk to Hounslow Central Tube Station.

Brand New Kitchen and Toilet & Shower room.

Ideal for working Professional Lady !

Female Only

£600 Including All Bills.

Call for more information on;
07426860440 , 02085721402

Now this looks like a simple sexism and descrimination against men and it looks no different from an advert saying whites ony, justifying that blacks statisticly are more likely to commmit thye crime etc.

My question is, how legal all this and are there any places, I could report them ?
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Comments

  • sooz
    sooz Posts: 4,560 Forumite
    I thought 'professional lady' meant prostitute? :)
  • sujman
    sujman Posts: 571 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    Take out the word professional and change lady to girl and you'll see what the target market for this flat is...
  • sujman
    sujman Posts: 571 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    sooz wrote: »
    I thought 'professional lady' meant prostitute? :)

    beat me to it!!!
  • jimjames
    jimjames Posts: 18,711 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    sooz wrote: »
    I thought 'professional lady' meant prostitute? :)
    Or is that professional working lady rather than working professional:)

    Maybe it is discrimination but you'd need to speak to your council or Equal Opportunties to find out if it qualifies.
    Remember the saying: if it looks too good to be true it almost certainly is.
  • westv
    westv Posts: 6,461 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    First time I've ever seen a non house share specify the sex of the tenant. Illegal??
  • Mishomeister
    Mishomeister Posts: 1,080 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    A 'studio flat' could be little more than a house share with your own bathroom/ sink? ;)

    Than it is an ensuite room, not a studio meaning the advert is missleading
  • antrobus
    antrobus Posts: 17,386 Forumite
    My question is, how legal all this and are there any places, I could report them ?


    As far as I'm aware the Sex Discrimination Act does indeed apply to housing. At least Liberty seem to think so;

    The SDA 1975 (‘SDA’) makes it unlawful to directly or indirectly discriminate on grounds of sex (or victimise) in the renting, allocation, management, sub-letting or selling of accommodation.

    http://www.yourrights.org.uk/yourrights/right-to-receive-equal-treatment/sex-discrimination/sex-discrimination-in-housing.html

    There are exceptions, but I don't think they'd apply in the case of a 'studio flat'.

    The EHRC goes further and states that;

    It is against the law to publish an advertisement that suggests an intention to commit an illegal act of sex discrimination. This applies to placing an advertisement as well as printing it. Newspapers, other publishing media, and their clients must therefore be aware of their obligations under the Sex Discrimination Act when dealing with illustrated advertisements.

    http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/advice-and-guidance/your-rights/gender/sex-discrimination-as-a-consumer/sex-discrimination-as-a-consumer-your-rights/

    And what's more specifically cites the example of "a landlord, estate agent or accommodation agency advertises in a newspaper that a self-contained flat is 'suitable for a respectable gentleman'" and states that "both the advertiser (the employer or service provider) and their agents (such as employment agencies), and the publisher of the advertisement are liable if such an advertisement is published."

    I'm not sure what there is to be done about it, mind you. I suppose it's the sort of thing that should be of interest to Liberty or the EHRC, or a complaint could be made to Gumtree, pointing out that they are in contravention of the SDA in allowing such ads to be published on their website, and that you are considering civil action against them.

    (Having said that, I reached the same conclusions regarding a 'working Professional Lady' as previous posters. Not that it changes anything of course.)
  • Mishomeister
    Mishomeister Posts: 1,080 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    I have complained to Gumtree and looks like they have removed the add very quickly :T
  • neverdespairgirl
    neverdespairgirl Posts: 16,501 Forumite
    Depends if it's self-contained or not.

    If it's part of someone's home (a lodger offer) then you are fine to discriminate on the grounds of sex / religion etc. Same as you can in relation to a nanny, for example.
    ...much enquiry having been made concerning a gentleman, who had quitted a company where Johnson was, and no information being obtained; at last Johnson observed, that 'he did not care to speak ill of any man behind his back, but he believed the gentleman was an attorney'.
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Can a man not be a nanny then?

    Now that's sexual discrimination!
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