A Fair Approach to Family Lets

A recent debate on the BBC Money Affordable Living Facebook page has drawn attention to the plight of families in some areas of the private rented sector. People shared their experiences of being refused a tenancy because they had children - whilst some landlords defended their right to exclude families.

The Law

The Equality Act makes it illegal to discriminate against a person on grounds of sex, sexual orientation, religion, race or disability. However, there is no law in the UK that forbids a landlord from stipulating that they don’t want to rent to a parent of children, unless that stipulation is unevenly applied (e.g. refusing to rent a flat to a single mother but offering the same to a single father is sex discrimination).

Common Sense

Not all properties are suitable for families. One landlord, cited in the BBC News article about the online debate, argued that Houses of Multiple Occupancy with shared communal spaces are unsuitable for children and we agree that this is common sense not discrimination. When pairing a family with an appropriate property, we are able to use our local knowledge to take into account factors such as the proximity of schools and outdoor recreation facilities.

Sara Tucker, Director of Pearl Lettings & Property Management, explains why we think that families with children make great tenants:

“At Pearl Lettings, we welcome families with children in appropriate homes where they often become fabulous long-term tenants. This scenario works well for the landlord as they do not have to pay finder fees to source new tenants every 6 to 12 months. It is great for the property as a family really treat is as a home and take care of it accordingly. It is pleasant for us as we get to form a mutually respectful relationship with our tenants. Once we know they are taking care of their home, we can leave them to enjoy living there with the reassurance that we are just an email or call away if a problem does arise.”

If you have a property that you think would be suitable for letting to a family that has the potential to become long-term tenants, we’d love to hear from you. We can take all the hassle out of property management and maintenance. For family lets, we only charge 10% of your rental income and this gives you access to all of our services, plus our accountant, lawyer, mortgage broker, financial adviser and local contacts in all the relevant trades. Call Pearl Lettings on 01603 980770 or email hello@pearllettings.co.uk and a member of our team will get back to you.

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