Thousands of rental home adverts say children and pets are not welcome

A recent analysis conducted by the BBC has revealed that thousands of adverts for rental homes are not accepting applicants with children and pets.

The BBC analysis revealed that approximately one quarter of rental advertisements on OpenRent expressed a preference for tenants without children, affecting nearly 1,800 out of 8,000 listings. Such blanket bans on children not only perpetuate discrimination but also indirectly discriminate against women, as they are more likely to live with their children.

A single mother of three told the BBC she and her son had been sofa-surfing while searching for a place to rent.

Sara, who has three children aged between 15 and 23, said it was a shock that so many of the properties she was looking at stated that no children were allowed, including teenagers.

She explained, "I suppose they think that they're going to have wild parties, or that they're messy, but my children aren't like that."

Propertymark attempted to explain why landlords might be cautious of tenants with pets and children, claiming that a government cap on deposits in England made landlords more wary of damage – specifically in relation to pets.

The National Residential Landlords Association was featured in the article as well as they shared their recognition of how important pets were to many tenants. They believe that any bans on children reflected “the actions of a minority of rogue landlords”.

Results of the BBC analysis

To collect the data, ‘BBC News created software that collected private rental listings from property websites OpenRent and Zoopla over a four-day period in May, then removed adverts for rooms in shared accommodation.’

The analysis revealed that approximately 24% of OpenRent advertisements showed a preference that said families were not allowed to rent the homes. Over 300 Zoopla listings – or just under 1% – expressed a similar preference.

Additionally, around 73% of sampled OpenRent listings and 6% of Zoopla listings stated that tenants with pets were not welcome.

The government has promised to bring forward legislation to tackle the issue.

The proposed changes to rental laws in England currently do not address policies regarding children in private rental housing, although the government has promised to bring forward legislation on the issue in England "at the earliest opportunity".

In Scotland, the government recognizes the need for reform in the private rental sector and has consulted on a strategy that includes the establishment of a housing regulator.

Among the Zoopla adverts analysed, nearly 200 agents (2%) explicitly stated that children were not welcome in their rental properties.

The Property Ombudsman, which handles rental disputes, stated in March that blanket bans on renting to families violate its code of practice, as they disproportionately impact women who are more likely to live with their children.

“It’s already unlawful under the Equality Act to have an outright blanket ban on renting to families because this is a type of indirect discrimination,” said Rose Arnall, a solicitor at Shelter, who represented the tenant in the case featured on BBC News.

Shelter said that blanket bans on tenants with children in Wales and Scotland were also a likely breach of the Equality Act.

Similarly, Caroline Brosnan, a senior lawyer at Russell Cooke, said a landlord needed to consider whether or not allowing children would stand up in court.

“While it would be reasonable to stop children living in a residence such as a bedsit in accommodation with multiple occupants, justifying a ban in a semi-detached house would be much more difficult,” she said.

Shelter explains that renters in England can challenge a letting agent that says they do not allow children to live in the private rental property.

If an agent refuses to rent to a tenant who has children, a complaint can be made if the tenant can show that they can afford the rent, and check the property is a suitable size. If a complaint is unsuccessful, it is possible to take it to the Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme.

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