British property agents keeping out East European tenants

[ruslan]

British property agents keeping out East European tenants
By IANS,

London : Encouraged by landlords, British property agents are illegally keeping out prospective east European tenants from renting properties, the BBC reported Tuesday. It echoes similar problems in India, where Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi complained last week that a housing society in Mumbai had blocked his purchase of a luxury flat because he is a Muslim.

Housing agents in Boston, a seaside town in east England, were found to be using illegal techniques to fend off foreign workers viewing properties that had been put up for rent, a BBC undercover investigation found.

One firm told a Polish worker that an advertised property had already been let out while allowing a BBC television news employee to view the same property.

It is illegal in Britain to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, religious beliefs, national or ethnic origins.

Although one firm said it had created a new race-relations policy, human rights lawyers said the behaviour was a "disturbing and shocking" breach of the Race Relations Act of 1976.

In addition, discrimination against potential tenants or even planning to do so with a landlord is a breach of a mandatory code of practice drawn up by the National Association of Estate Agents.

In India, Emraan Hashmi, who featured in films like "Murder" and "Gangster - A Love Story", wanted to buy a house in Mumbai's Pali Hill so that he could stay close to his parents.

He said he was refused the No Objection Certificate despite paying the token amount of Rs.100,000 and the society management ignored his parents' requests to meet them over the issue.

In the BBC report, an undercover reporter posing as a landlord was told by one estate agent employee, recorded covertly: "You can tell as soon as they speak, you can't tell by looking at them; particularly the Eastern Europeans.

"We say to the migrants - well, which ones do you want to look at? Then we ring them back and say? 'Sorry, well, that one's gone'."

British discrimination lawyers, as well as other estate agents, said landlords making such illegal demands on estate agents should be turned away immediately.

Arpita Dutt of the law firm Russell Jones and Walker, said: "What they should be saying is, 'I can't do this, I can't act on those instructions. I can get you the best tenant for your property and try to meet those needs. But if I did it in the way you are asking me to do it, then that's against the law'."

"It feels like we may as well, in some cases, be going back to the days of 'no blacks, no dogs, no Irish', because that's what is being perpetuated at the moment by some of the agents and the landlords."

Award-winning human rights lawyer Louise Christian told the BBC: "I felt horrified, that in this modern day, the provision of housing is being withheld from people who need it because of their nationality or their race. Housing is an essential service that everyone needs over their head."
http://twocircles.net/2009aug04/brit...n_tenants.html

[SILURES]

British property agents keeping out East European tenants
By IANS,

London : Encouraged by landlords, British property agents are illegally keeping out prospective east European tenants from renting properties, the BBC reported Tuesday. It echoes similar problems in India, where Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi complained last week that a housing society in Mumbai had blocked his purchase of a luxury flat because he is a Muslim.

Housing agents in Boston, a seaside town in east England, were found to be using illegal techniques to fend off foreign workers viewing properties that had been put up for rent, a BBC undercover investigation found.

One firm told a Polish worker that an advertised property had already been let out while allowing a BBC television news employee to view the same property.

It is illegal in Britain to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, religious beliefs, national or ethnic origins.

Although one firm said it had created a new race-relations policy, human rights lawyers said the behaviour was a "disturbing and shocking" breach of the Race Relations Act of 1976.

In addition, discrimination against potential tenants or even planning to do so with a landlord is a breach of a mandatory code of practice drawn up by the National Association of Estate Agents.

In India, Emraan Hashmi, who featured in films like "Murder" and "Gangster - A Love Story", wanted to buy a house in Mumbai's Pali Hill so that he could stay close to his parents.

He said he was refused the No Objection Certificate despite paying the token amount of Rs.100,000 and the society management ignored his parents' requests to meet them over the issue.

In the BBC report, an undercover reporter posing as a landlord was told by one estate agent employee, recorded covertly: "You can tell as soon as they speak, you can't tell by looking at them; particularly the Eastern Europeans.

"We say to the migrants - well, which ones do you want to look at? Then we ring them back and say? 'Sorry, well, that one's gone'."

British discrimination lawyers, as well as other estate agents, said landlords making such illegal demands on estate agents should be turned away immediately.

Arpita Dutt of the law firm Russell Jones and Walker, said: "What they should be saying is, 'I can't do this, I can't act on those instructions. I can get you the best tenant for your property and try to meet those needs. But if I did it in the way you are asking me to do it, then that's against the law'."

"It feels like we may as well, in some cases, be going back to the days of 'no blacks, no dogs, no Irish', because that's what is being perpetuated at the moment by some of the agents and the landlords."

Award-winning human rights lawyer Louise Christian told the BBC: "I felt horrified, that in this modern day, the provision of housing is being withheld from people who need it because of their nationality or their race. Housing is an essential service that everyone needs over their head."
http://twocircles.net/2009aug04/brit...n_tenants.html

i agree it is wrong. generalizing about someone based on race or colour or religion.

theres a guy in our gym who rents propertys out, and he wont rent to eastern immigrants. hes been caught dozens of times by them trashing the places he owns, dozens of them living in a two bedroomed flat. hes not allowed to check if theyre legal immigrants or illegal, and all the ones hes rented to have been illegals that cant be traced and trash the place and do a runner. so he generalizes about any easterns that he dont wanna take a chance so he does the same and says that the property has gone.

[Peacenik]

Eastern Europeans are not exactly known for their integrity.

[SILURES]

Eastern Europeans are not exactly know for their integrity.

to be fair, i know a few of them that are good guys. worked the doors with some of them and become mates with them. but i have heard stories like the one i posted above that makes me a bit suspicious of them.

(i know its wrong but im weak )

[Peacenik]

to be fair, i know a few of them that are good guys. worked the doors with some of them and become mates with them. but i have heard stories like the one i posted above that makes me a bit suspicious of them.

(i know its wrong but im weak )

We're all human, SILURES; if a certain section of society has done 'wrong', then it's normal to tarnish them with the same brush (even though it might be incorrect to do so).

Yes, some might be brilliant, but then again, they may not.

[SILURES]

We're all human, SILURES; if a certain section of society has done 'wrong', then it's normal to tarnish them with the same brush (even though it might be incorrect to do so).

Yes, some might be brilliant, but then again, they may not.

yeah i agree. good post.

[cyber_abdullah]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8182328.stm

Estate agents prepared to discriminate against tenants

A BBC undercover investigation has found estate agents prepared to flout race relations laws and discriminate against migrant workers on behalf of landlords.

This secret recording shows two agents when they came to view a house to assess it for rent.

The agents featured in this undercover filming were approached about the findings.

AP Sales say: "It is not our practice to deny access to anybody, whatever their nationality, to any property we sell or let. Over 1/3rd of the 188 properties we let are let by us to non British nationals and we act for several non British landlords. We have an excellent relationship with all."

Bruce Mather and co said: "Out of our 235 tenants, 93 are foreign nationals, which is 40% of all the people that we let to. Our firm employs foreign nationals to complete maintenance work. We see many positives in this situation and it has focused us to draw up and implement Company Policy in consideration of the Race Relations Act of 1976."

[fathikram]

Eastern Europeans are not exactly known for their integrity.

Many of the people I work with are from Eastern Europe. Fine, honest, hardworking people. What 'integrity' are you implying that they are lacking?

Don't landlords know how to check out clients? Over here you must have an ID from the State, pay for your own credit check, give work references and proof of income, give personal references, and references from your last landlord. On top of that you must put up the first and last month's rent, and an extra month's rent as a security deposit. If you fall behind in the rent, the landlord can have you put out in the street by the sheriff in 60 days or less.

Why would any landlord rent out their property without these precautions?

[Morris]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8182328.stm

Estate agents prepared to discriminate against tenants

A BBC undercover investigation has found estate agents prepared to flout race relations laws and discriminate against migrant workers on behalf of landlords.

This secret recording shows two agents when they came to view a house to assess it for rent.

The agents featured in this undercover filming were approached about the findings.

AP Sales say: "It is not our practice to deny access to anybody, whatever their nationality, to any property we sell or let. Over 1/3rd of the 188 properties we let are let by us to non British nationals and we act for several non British landlords. We have an excellent relationship with all."

Bruce Mather and co said: "Out of our 235 tenants, 93 are foreign nationals, which is 40% of all the people that we let to. Our firm employs foreign nationals to complete maintenance work. We see many positives in this situation and it has focused us to draw up and implement Company Policy in consideration of the Race Relations Act of 1976."

This is not new really. This one for your books Cyber Abs but its a well kept secret that Estate Agents sometimes refer to possible leasing/buying etc of "our cousins" for those in the know....Meaning 'Asians'.


Oh I'm such a grass....

[cyber_abdullah]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7826077.stm

Agencies 'happy to discriminate'

Letting agents and employment agencies in the west of England are willing to discriminate against ethnic minority groups, a BBC investigation has found.

Of 30 temping agencies contacted by an Inside Out West researcher, 25 agreed to a request for a receptionist job to be offered only to white workers.

Seventeen out of 30 letting agencies also agreed to discriminate.

Industry representatives said the findings were "unacceptable" and they would take action.

Professor Tariq Modood, of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship, said: "I'm surprised how many people were willing to go along with a very blatant suggestion of discrimination.

"Past surveys have tended to suggest maybe a third of people will discriminate and you have found that it is greater than that."

'Racial motivations'

Posing as a landlord with a two-bedroom house to rent out, the researcher told the letting agents not to show it to anyone from an ethnic minority background.

A spokeswoman for the Association of Residential Letting Agents, the regulatory body for the industry, said: "A lettings agent simply cannot assist a landlord with refusing a tenant due to racial motivations.

“ We would expect agencies to challenge that kind of discriminatory instruction and to walk away from the business if they had to ”
Tom Hadley - Recruitment and Employment Confederation

"Our code of conduct makes it very clear that any form of discrimination is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

The researcher also posed as an employer who wanted a temporary receptionist, but insisted the person had to be white.

Among those who agreed to the request was one agency worker who said: "That's fine. You are not allowed to say it but, no, we certainly hear what you say. That's not a problem."

Tom Hadley, of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), said: "We would expect agencies within the REC membership to challenge that kind of discriminatory instruction and to walk away from the business if they had to - because that is how seriously we take this particular issue.

"It shows there's still a lot of work we need to do. We will not tolerate this kind of discriminatory behaviour."

The full story features on Inside Out West on BBC One in the West region at 1930 GMT on Wednesday.

[cyber_abdullah]

Researcher: "Just send through white."

Agency: "Yep. Normal people."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pre...side_out.shtml

BBC investigation uncovers racial discrimination amongst lettings and employment agencies

Date: 14.01.2009
Category: West TV

An investigation by regional documentary series BBC Inside Out West has discovered letting agents and employment agencies are still willing to discriminate against ethnic minority groups.

Of 30 temping agencies contacted across the West of England, 25 agreed to a request for a receptionist job to be offered only to white workers.

Seventeen out of 30 letting agencies also said they were happy not to show families from an ethnic minority background a particular house which would soon be vacant and available for rent.

Under the Race Relations Act it is unlawful for employers and landlords to discriminate in such a way.

Professor Tariq Modood, of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship, says: "I'm surprised how many people were willing to go along with the suggestion, a very blatant suggestion, of discrimination.

"It's greater than I would have expected. Past surveys have tended to suggest maybe a third of people will discriminate and you have found that it is greater than that."

A BBC Inside Out West researcher first posed as a landlord with a two-bedroom family house to rent. He said he did not want anyone from an ethnic minority background as a tenant.

The following are extracts from some of those calls:

Researcher: "Is that something we can do?"

Agency: "We can't really say that but we can do it if you see what I mean."

Agency: "You have to be careful sort of saying that because it can get us into all sorts of trouble. Obviously there's ways and means of controlling that situation."

Researcher: "You can tell [your staff] not to bother?" Agency: "Yeah."

Researcher: "Don't bother showing them round because all that will do is waste their time. They will come to me and I'll say no."

Agency: "Yeah."

Agency: "We would try and distract them, that it's not suitable for them, but obviously we have other ways of not making it available to them."

A spokeswoman for the Association of Residential Letting Agents, the regulatory body for the industry, says: "A lettings agent simply cannot assist a landlord with refusing a tenant due to racial motivations.

"Our code of conduct makes it very clear that any form of discrimination is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."

Next, our researcher passed himself as a potential employer looking for a temporary receptionist, who he insisted, had to be white.

What follows are the agency staff's answers to our request:

Agency: "That's fine. You are not allowed to say it but, no, we certainly hear what you say. That's not a problem."

Agency: "It's difficult with the accent over the phone isn't it? I understand that, yeah, shouldn't really say that but taken on board."

Agency: "We'll ignore it and pretend you didn't say it but listen to what you said, if you see what I mean."

Agency: "OK. You are not supposed to tell me that but I will forget you did (laughter) but bear it in mind."

Researcher: "Just send through white."

Agency: "Yep. Normal people."

The programme shows the transcripts of the calls to Alex Lock, an employment law specialist.

He says: "We have here clear evidence of discriminatory requests being made and agencies quite prepared to collude with them.

"Until people stand up and make it clear that a) it is discrimination and b) it is wrong and they are not going to go along with it we really aren't going to address this as a problem."

Veteran race campaigner Paul Stephenson, who fought against the Bristol Bus Company's ban on black drivers in the Sixties, says: "It shows you the enormity of the problem. It's enormously frustrating to learn how seriously little progress we have made."

BBC Inside Out West takes its evidence to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents 8,000 agencies and 6,000 recruitment professionals.

Tom Hadley, Director of External Relations, says: "What you have shown me is clearly unacceptable. It is examples of direct discrimination.

"We would expect agencies within the REC membership to challenge that kind of discriminatory instruction and to walk away from the business if they had to because that is how seriously we take this particular issue.

"It shows there's still a lot of work we need to do. We will not tolerate this kind of discriminatory behaviour and we are going to do something about it."

BBC Inside Out West, Wednesday 14 January 2009 at 7.30pm on BBC One in the West of England. Also available on BBC iPlayer for seven days after transmission.