A landlord looking for a tenant to rent his spare room has come under fire after stating in his advert that vegans need not apply. He also said he wasn’t keen on sharing with a party animal or anyone who didn’t keep the flat tidy, but it was the vegan comment that caused the most stink.
Vegans Love Food
The Vegan Society issued a statement after the ad was brought to their attention. They said they were surprised the landlord was discriminating against vegans, as most vegans are excellent cooks and more than happy to share their expertise with fellow diners.
“While we can appreciate that the landlord was aiming for the advert to be humorous, we don’t quite understand why he would be opposed to living with a vegan,” said a spokesperson.
The website where the landlord posted his advert was also unhappy. They said they preferred their listings to be more “positive”, although they acknowledge that live-in landlords have every right to outline their preferences about who they want to live with.
“Ultimately, we’d always prefer it if our users take people on the basis of who they are, rather than which ‘boxes’ they tick,” they said.
Nice Duplex in Manchester
The flat in question is a nice duplex in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, within easy walking distance of the local bars and restaurants, and a short walk from Piccadilly Station. The prospective tenant would have their own bedroom on the lower floor, although it doesn’t sound very large, as there isn’t a wardrobe in there.
However, given his list of ‘don’t wants’, it is questionable how many people will want to pay £700 a month to share a flat with someone who is rather picky, even if he does describe himself as a “nice guy”.
Discrimination Against Tenants
Of course, discrimination against certain groups of tenants is nothing new. This landlord can dictate who he wants to share with, but it wouldn’t be the case if he was letting out the whole property. Britain’s biggest landlord, Fergus Wilson, drew widespread ire for banning single mothers, some ethnic groups, not to mention plumbers, from his rental properties.
He described it as a purely business decision, but the Equality and Human Rights Commission took him to court.
“This policy clearly amounts to discrimination,” the judge said. “I find the policy is unlawful. Such a policy has no place in our society.”
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