House to rent - Asians only

[Nick Grant]

Hmmm...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18588612

[Jasandjules]

Can just imagine the furore if someone put "white" only or similar. In fact, I'd be unhappy about it !

[Nick Grant]

Indeed, everything tells me this is wrong and back to the "no blacks no dogs no Irish days" but practically I guess people will filter later in the process if they are not allowed to put it in the ads. So much for cultural integration though

[jas xjr]

I am of Asian origin and I find the idea of these ads offensive

[Pesty]

The writing is small on some adverts can't see if any say must be white

Funny I thought we were supposed to be the racist ones.

[Mobile Chicane]

How is this a story? Slow news day perhaps?

One can only assume the (relatively unsophisticated) advertisers acted in good faith, and in ignorance of the law whereby an ad worded 'Room to let - would suit a Muslim, vegetarian, one-eyed lesbian hunchback' is allowed whereas 'Room to let - Muslim, vegetarian, one-eyed lesbian hunchbacks only' isn't.

[NDA]

Someone should put a spurious one in saying 'No Muslims' and see what happens.

[FourWheelDrift]

I think they are very useful, after all if they didn't specify racial preferences would you be happy to share/rent from people as narrow mindedly racist as that?

[Jasandjules]

NDA said:

Someone should put a spurious one in saying 'No Muslims' and see what happens.

I suspect the police would be round to visit them.

[Esseesse]

Mobile Chicane said:

'Room to let - would suit a Muslim, vegetarian, one-eyed lesbian hunchback' is allowed whereas 'Room to let - Muslim, vegetarian, one-eyed lesbian hunchbacks only'

Why would a room suit a Muslim any more than a non-Muslim though?

[Starfighter]

Esseesse said:

Mobile Chicane said:

'Room to let - would suit a Muslim, vegetarian, one-eyed lesbian hunchback' is allowed whereas 'Room to let - Muslim, vegetarian, one-eyed lesbian hunchbacks only'

Why would a room suit a Muslim any more than a non-Muslim though?

Faces east?

[DSM2]

FourWheelDrift said:

I think they are very useful, after all if they didn't specify racial preferences would you be happy to share/rent from people as narrow mindedly racist as that?

Some might say that the real use of them is to give advance warning of who your neighbours might be.

[Caulkhead]

Jasandjules said:

Can just imagine the furore if someone put "white" only or similar. In fact, I'd be unhappy about it !

The thing is, none of those adverts specified skin colour, they specified either a particular nationality or a particular continent.

So the equivalent might be to specify 'English' or 'european' rather than colour. It would be interesting to see how the landlords specifying 'asian' would react if they were faced with Turkish or Chinese applicants? Asia is a big place!

[craigjm]

Storm in a tea cup.

If you really wanted to discriminate in your rental ad just write it in the language of the people you want to attract and then nobody else will even know its a house rental ad.

[Mojooo]

I am generally pro equality but TBH I am not too bothered about this

End of the day living with someone is a personal thing with a close relationship and I can see why you might wnat to choose somone similar to you.

Saves everyone time I spose i nterms of unwanted people calling/visiting.

[NelsonR32]

NDA said:

Someone should put a spurious one in saying 'No Muslims' and see what happens.

Probably the same thing if you put "No Christians" or "No Semites".

[GestapoWatch]

I think it should be allowed to continue so that I know which lets to avoid when looking around for my next place to stay

[Art0ir]

Much muchness about not much. Who cares? I wouldn't want to live with an American because I couldn't stand their accent, if I stuck an ad up to that effect would that warrant a BBC News story?

[hyperblue]

Having looked for a place in Brighton, it was common for ads to specify if they were looking for gay housemates. Didn't warrant a news story.

[Ozzie Osmond]

Art0ir said:

I wouldn't want to live with an American because I couldn't stand their accent

I doubt they'd want to share with a bigot anyway.