Campaigners say growing instances of ‘No DSS’ are problematic.
It used to be “No blacks, no Irish, no dogs”, now it’s “No DSS, no pets, no children”. Check out the rental listings on websites such as Rightmove, or press your nose against the window of your local lettings agent, and you will often see “No DSS”. It means the landlord or agent won’t rent a property to someone on housing benefit or local housing allowance, though some younger readers might not even know what “DSS” stands for (it’s Department of Social Security, and was replaced by the Department for Work and Pensions 16 years ago).
The racist signs once seen in the windows of houses with rooms to rent have long been consigned to history, but what about their 21st-century equivalent? How common is it, and does refusing to let a property to someone on housing benefit amount to unlawful discrimination? Campaigners say it’s problematic. In a blog, housing charity Shelter said: “Rising rents and shrinking wages mean that being in work is no longer a guarantee you won’t need help with housing costs. But if you do receive this help, it’s guaranteed that you will be openly discriminated against.”
Between December 2015 and February 2016, members of Digs, a Hackney-based private renter information and campaign group, carried out a mystery shopper survey of 50 local estate agents to see how many letting agents had properties that would accept tenants claiming housing benefit. It found there was just one studio flat.
A recent House of Commons Library briefing paper stated that such restrictions were “unlikely to amount to direct discrimination, as income and employment status are not protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010”. But it added: “If housing benefit claimants are [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][for example] predominantly female or from an ethnic minority group, a refusal to let to claimants might amount to indirect discrimination … However, indirect discrimination can be lawful if it can be reasonably justified.”
So why do landlords refuse? A government survey of landlords from 2011 found the most common reasons were disturbances or anti-social behaviour (19%), expected payment delays (17%), unpaid rent (16%) and damage (16%).
Meanwhile, some lenders are reluctant to provide mortgages to landlords who let to tenants on benefits. Buy-to-let lender The Mortgage Works said in 2012 that no new mortgages would be advanced to landlords whose tenants received benefits. Three months later, after press criticism, it relented.
Shelter has a guide on convincing a landlord to rent to you. It says local councils may keep lists of private landlords who accept tenants on housing benefit, and that some websites such as SpareRoom allow you to select a “DSS OK” filter. There is also a website called Dssmove that connects tenants with agents and landlords “that say yes to DSS”.
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