Victory for Aberystwyth tenants’ union fighting letting agency ‘no benefits’ clauses

A local tenants’ union are celebrating a victory today after a local letting agency posted adverts that discriminate against benefit claimants.

1 Stop Lettings, based in Terrace Road, Aberystwyth, had advertised several rental properties with clauses that exclude housing benefit recipients. The newly formed branch of a national community and tenants’ union, ACORN Aberystwyth, demanded that the agency drop these clauses and stop using them, saying they will worsen homelessness in the middle of a pandemic. They also pointed to recent court cases which have ruled that the use of these courses is illegal.

The group issued a deadline of Thursday 18^th February for the company to comply, but 1 Stop Lettings promptly agreed to halt the practice, saying that they had unwittingly used out-of-date copy when re-marketing properties.

A spokesperson for ACORN Aberystwyth, David Hanlon, said: “We reminded 1 Stop Lettings of their obligations under the law and were pleased that they immediately responded. The courts, government, and even landlords’ groups agree: refusing people housing because they claim benefits is unlawful. This isn’t Victorian Britain – all letting agencies should follow 1 Stop Lettings’ example, and bring their policies into the twenty-first century. If landlords insist on a ‘no benefits’ policy, letting agents should refuse their business.”

Two landmark court cases brought by UK housing charity Shelter have found that these clauses break the law. In February 2018, Birmingham County Court ruled these “no DSS clauses” violate the 2010 Equality Act. In July 2020, a York County Court judge agreed.

1 Stop Lettings’ website previously blamed “restrictions in the landlord’s mortgage term” for the clauses. However, mortgage lenders are increasingly axing these requirements. In 2018, UK-wide campaigns by ACORN and other tenants’ rights groups forced mortgage lenders Natwest and TSB to drop them.

ACORN Aberystwyth say these changes mean there is no excuse for 1 Stop Lettings to keep clauses that discriminate against women and disabled applicants, who are more likely to claim housing benefit.

“COVID-19 is worsening the housing crisis as jobs and incomes dry up,” said Hanlon. “Everyone has the right to a roof over their head, especially in this unprecedented emergency.”

ACORN Aberystwyth are still growing, and plan a formal launch event in the coming weeks. The group say this campaign will be the first of many.

“For too long, ordinary people have felt powerless when dealing with landlords and powerful people,” the group said. “ACORN Aberystwyth will fight to change that.”