Letting discrimination: An uncomfortable truth?

The Runnymede report about letting agencies discriminating against African and Caribbean people, along with a undercover sting the BBC set up to expose a number of London agencies, sets off a number of worrying alarm bells, including the fact that number of Asian businesses appear to a discriminating against Black people.

The BBC undercover investigation revealed that a number of agencies were deliberately telling Black people that the property had gone when it clearly hadn’t.

Of course the crude signs of ‘No dogs, no Irish, and no Blacks’ is outlawed by race legislation, but it seems the practice towards Black people at least still prevails.

For example, lettings manager, of A to Z Property Services, in Dollis Hill, northwest London, one of the agencies at the centre of the investigation, said:

We cannot be shown discriminating against a community. But obviously we've got our ways around that, 99 per cent of my landlords don't want Afro-Caribbeans or any troublesome people."

Another lettings manager at National Estate Agents, Willesden, northwest London, said:

When someone [African-Caribbean] comes in, we won't advise them of this property.”

Since the program many more people have complained that they been discriminated against. As a result the Equality and Human Rights Commission have indicated they will begin an investigation.

What will also trouble many is the fact that all those involved in the BBC investigation who were seen to be discriminating against Africans and Caribbeans were of Asian origin. Of course the programme just highlighted a small number of cases but any investigation by the EHRC needs to uncover and effectively deal with any section of any community which is undertaking this level of shocking discrimination.

http://www.runnymedetrust.org/news/525/272/No-Dogs-No-Blacks-new-findings-show-that-minority-ethnic-groups-are-still-discriminated-against-when-trying-to-rent-private-housing.html

Simon Woolley