Renting a Room when you are gay

parkrunner

If I was a landlord it wouldn't bother me in the slightest. To me it's no different to which way you vote or whether you're religious. As long as anyone in those examples doesn't try to change me then I'm good.

Alan2020

AdrianC wrote: »

Can I ask what it is about your appearance that causes such reactions?

Very different :eek::rotfl:

seven-day-weekend

mrdavid wrote: »

Hi everyone,

This is cheeky of me because this is my first post, but I know that there is a wealth of information when it comes to renting rooms; albeit seemingly on the side of the homeowner/tenant of the overall property.

I find it very difficult finding advice for this, though, I haven't asked this on any LGBT forums which likely should have been my first step.

From what I have read specifically on the MSE forums the general consensus is that: "it's your home so you can set the rules." Etc.

I am looking to rent a room within the next few months but I am nervous because I am gay, and not because I'm going to have endless partners in the house I am in a long term relationship.

However, what I am interested to find out is whether for persons that do let out room(s) whether someone's sexuality is something that should be stated when first enquiring, of course the bias being someone that is LGBT.

Of course, persons/families religious views may go against someone who is gay, and persons views and beliefs in general that aren't related to religion.

So, if I were to enquire as a gay man on a room ad: would it be preferable for my sexual orientation to be stated from the get go?

Thank you for anyone that shares any experience and/or advice.

PS: I will absolutely not be offended if this is something you would not like, so please be truthful in your responses.

I would not like a lodger of any orientation to bring their partner to stay over (visiting and then going home OK!).This would be made clear at the interview, so you would not need to tell me your sexual orientation. Nor is it any of my business.

AdrianC

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I would not like a lodger of any orientation to bring their partner to stay over
...
Nor is it any of my business.

Yup. That's right.

mrdavid

Hi guys,

Thank you all so much for your very honest and detailed responses.

This does make me feel a lot more comfortable for sure when it comes to this.

I did rent (let) a room once in Basildon but there was never any house rules stated as such (was only there like 2 weeks so partner never came round) but she gave me the room because she said my communication skills were very good and came off well etc.

Hopefully this thread will help others in my position.

In some ways, you could argue that there are similarities to living with your parents in this context as it’s not like you’d bring them back (unlikely) on your first date: you’d get to know them before you trusted them in your own/parents home.

I can imagine on the off chance there are long time lodgers whereby the live-in landlord has known them long enough to trust their judgement etc.; while also building up their trust in you (the lodger) the longer they have to get to know you.

Though, I was thinking about whether this would be an issue for a live-out landlord, but I can see that other persons in the household could still object to someone new living there regardless.

Thank you all so much and I am really appreciate the help and advice given.

trailingspouse

AdrianC wrote: »

It would be illegal for the landlord to discriminate on the basis of your sexuality. That simple.

No, it isn't. Because you are having someone living in your home, you have more of a say in who you choose. So, for example, you can say that you only want to rent to a woman, or to someone of a particular religious faith, and so on.

I think it's something that's best dealt with up front - if someone turns you down because of your sexuality, you wouldn't want to be living with them anyway. But I think for most right-minded people it wouldn't be an issue.

Freecall

Honeylife wrote: »

...double rooms with no room to swing a cat!

Sexual orientation is one thing but presumably this relates to some strange religious practice!

:rotfl::rotfl:

seven-day-weekend

AdrianC wrote: »

Yup. That's right.

Of course someone bringing someone else to stay in my house if I am living there is my business!

However, if they agreed to take up lodgings in my house on the understanding that I would not allow it, then their sexual orientation is irrelevant.

SneaksyWhippet

I had successive lodgers for around five years. After a bad experience with a male lodger in the early days (me being a straight female living alone, albeit in a long term relationship), I started to specify female lodgers only.






I would actually have been totally happy with a gay male too, all other things being equal, so in that circumstance stating your sexuality would have taken you from the "no way" list to the "possible" list.

onwards&upwards

Littleonesunshine wrote: »

I hate questions like this, because it’s annoying that a sexual preference should be an issue.

Easy to say as a straight person, in a world where gay people still battered on buses I think it’s sensible to think about it!