The Student Room Group

"Muslim only" rental advert. Would this be allowed with anyone else?

It seems when you're a Muslim, you can get away with all sorts in Britain :smile:





We found five such ads nearby. Our reporters discovered hundreds more across the UK, including signs for “Asian only” and “Polish only” tenants.

The ads echo those of the 1950s and ’60s when landlords hung “Whites only” signs in windows. There are fears the discrimination scandal is fuelling a ghetto culture in our towns and cities which could be exploited by farright groups.

In Woolwich, south-east London, tensions have been running high since Army drummer Lee, 26, was murdered by extremists last year.

At nearby Jash News, one small ad read: “Room to let for £400 in Plumstead… ONLY FOR ASIAN FAMILY.”





We also uncovered around 200 property adverts on websites such as Gumtree, specifying Muslims

One posting spelled out “MUSLIM BROTHER” in capital letters.

Landlords who discriminate in this way are breaking the law, say experts.

The web is awash with such ads. In Birmingham, landlord Nouman Khan used the Gumtree site to find a female Muslim to rent a double room in the house he shares with his British Pakistani family.

He said: “I know my advert breaches the Equality Act but it is up to Gumtree to get me to take it down.

“They contacted me a few years ago to change one of my adverts but I haven’t heard about this one.

“I am not discriminating. Most of my friends are white but I want to share with someone who has the same habits as me.”

An Equality and Human Rights Commission spokesman said it had written to lettings agents in the past to explain that “usually they cannot specify a prospective tenant is British, Asian or otherwise.”


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have you not considered that the person might not be comfortable with drunk roommates who smoke, eat bacon, and bring girls over. so instead of making a long list of requirements they simply stated "muslim only"?
i don't think they meant it in a discriminative way, but they were trying to find someone who shared similar interests and habits.
Although you are not allowed to select this way if you are a live-out landlord, when you live with someone you can choose them on whatever requirements you want.
In my opinion it's naughty, but nothing will be done about it.
Reply 5
"It is feared these adverts will create ghetto culture."

Have they seen the way British cities are going? These fears are ever so slightly too late.
Original post by presidential_
have you not considered that the person might not be comfortable with drunk roommates who smoke, eat bacon, and bring girls over. so instead of making a long list of requirements they simply stated "muslim only"?


Loads of Muslims do the at least one of the above, infact you don't know that he himself doesn't do those things.
Not all non-Muslims do those things

If a white person was to put up an advert and didn't want to deal with cultural differences so stated "whites only" or "non-Muslims only" you know as well as I do the **** would hit the fan.




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Reply 7
Original post by presidential_
have you not considered that the person might not be comfortable with drunk roommates who smoke, eat bacon, and bring girls over. so instead of making a long list of requirements they simply stated "muslim only"?
There are non-Muslims who don't get drunk, smoke or eat bacon and there are Muslims who do all these things.
If those are the issues, make them clear.

Those adverts are breaking the law against religious discrimination.
Original post by miscounted_time


If a white person was to put up an advert and didn't want to deal with cultural differences so stated "whites only" or "non-Muslims only" you know as well as I do the **** would hit the fan.




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You can be white and Muslim, and black and Christian.
Original post by presidential_
have you not considered that the person might not be comfortable with drunk roommates who smoke, eat bacon, and bring girls over. so instead of making a long list of requirements they simply stated "muslim only"?


Lots of muslims smoke. I'm White Atheist and I don't.

Wanting roommates to go outside to smoke or whatever so the house doesn't smell horrible is fine. Bacon and girls are none of their business.
Original post by SmallTownGirl
Although you are not allowed to select this way if you are a live-out landlord, when you live with someone you can choose them on whatever requirements you want.


Of course but you specifically state your preferences
Non smokers
Quiet and tidy
Must be working etc

All that is perfectly reasonable.
What you cant do is discriminate by race or racially profile individuals which is what the adverts are doing.


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Original post by miscounted_time
Loads of Muslims do the at least one of the above, infact you don't know that he himself doesn't do those things.
Not all non-Muslims do those things

If a white person was to put up an advert and didn't want to deal with cultural differences so stated "whites only" or "non-Muslims only" you know as well as I do the **** would hit the fan.


Posted from TSR Mobile


Original post by QE2
There are non-Muslims who don't get drunk, smoke or eat bacon and there are Muslims who do all these things.
If those are the issues, make them clear.

Those adverts are breaking the law against religious discrimination.



yes i know, my point was that maybe their intention was not to discriminate but to find someone with similar habits. but if its against the law...then its against the law. maybe next time they should make a long list of their requirements
Reply 12
I'm not really into prayer calls in my accommodation 5 times a day.

I think I'll put a sign up next time saying "Christians, Jews, Hindus & atheists only"

We'll see how long that lasts before I get a knock on the door.
Original post by miscounted_time
Of course but you specifically state your preferences
Non smokers
Quiet and tidy
Must be working etc

All that is perfectly reasonable.
What you cant do is discriminate by race or racially profile individuals which is what the adverts are doing.


Posted from TSR Mobile


Wanting to live with someone who has the same belief system as you isn't wrong. Wanting to only rent your room to a certain group of people when you might not even meet them is. But wanting to live with someone from your culture etc is perfectly acceptable.
Original post by presidential_
yes i know, my point was that maybe their intention was not to discriminate but to find someone with similar habits. but if its against the law...then its against the law. maybe next time they should make a long list of their requirements

This is exactly what discrimination is.
It is a sad state of affairs when such laws can be breached by some parties with no punishment or even acknowledgement. What is worse is that these people know that they are breaking the law but they simply don't **** and don't respect our nations laws. Which are in place to protect people such as themselves from discrimination.
Original post by SmallTownGirl
Wanting to live with someone who has the same belief system as you isn't wrong. Wanting to only rent your room to a certain group of people when you might not even meet them is. But wanting to live with someone from your culture etc is perfectly acceptable.

No it is not. Failing to rent a room to a gay couple for example is unlawful.
Original post by Old_Simon
No it is not. Failing to rent a room to a gay couple for example is unlawful.


So when I decided who I was going to live with based on who I could live with I was breaking the law because I didn't want to share with certain people. I call bull****.
mountain out of a molehill - You will usually choose to live with someone who has the same habits/culture as yourself.
Original post by SmallTownGirl
So when I decided who I was going to live with based on who I could live with I was breaking the law because I didn't want to share with certain people. I call bull****.

You can call it what you like.

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