What rental discrimination is and what to do if you're being treated unfairly
Under the Equality Act 2010, it's illegal for landlords and agents to discriminate against potential or current tenants on the grounds of their protected characteristics.
Rental discrimination
Under the Renters Rights Act 2025, landlords must not:
- refuse to rent to you because you have children, or you because you claim benefits
- make it harder for you to rent because you have children, or claim benefits
- advertise a property in a way that excludes people with children or those claiming benefits
This is called ‘rental discrimination'.
Rental discrimination can include:
- discriminatory advertising
- stopping you from viewing a property
- refusing to rent a property to you
What you can do
If a landlord or letting agent is discriminating against you, you might be able to take action against them.
Ask for a reason
Ask the landlord or agent why your application was not successful.
Gather evidence
Keep records of anything that may show discrimination, such as:
- adverts saying things like “No benefits” or “No children”
- messages or emails showing you were treated differently
- dates, times, and names of people you spoke to
Let us know
If you have evidence that a landlord or letting agent refused to rent to you because you receive benefits or have children, use our report a problem with your landlord form.
Make a formal complaint
Write to the landlord or letting agent explaining:
- what happened
- why you believe it is discrimination
- how you would like the issue to be resolved
Contact a redress scheme, if it involves an agent
If your complaint is not resolved and the property is managed by a letting agent or property manager, you can contact their redress scheme:
These schemes can investigate and help resolve complaints.
Get legal advice
If the issue continues, or you believe the discrimination relates to your protected characteristics under the Equality Act, you may want to get independent legal advice.
You can also contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) for guidance.