I have been looking for a rental for several months now I meet the afofrdability critera and have a good credit rating however as soon as I mention my assistance dog they all go no pets and turn me away.
It is illegal to dicriminate against someone for the mental or physical health (equalities act 2008) and illegal to discriminate agianst a guide/assisance dog.
Does anyone have any advice on how to proceed because citizens advice’s suggestion is to sue because they wont make a reasonable adjustment but If I do that no one will wnat to rent to me!
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If it is discrimination and not competition / better alternatives, it would be indirect discrimination. This was a path those on benefits fought for a long time, and it still happens as it’s a difficult issue to prove. The discrimination most likely is against pets but has the indirect effect on those needing assistance dogs.
Have you put yourself onto the local council’s housing list to see where you would score on their priority list. They tend to be more flexible than the private landlords.
Or you could wait until the Renters Reform Bill happens (if it does) as that (appears) to reverse the “no pets” rule.
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If there are any LL left by then. Renters Reform Bill is certainly reforming the rental market, LLs are leaving the sector in their thousands and it still has a long way to go before being implemented. On a side moan, how many people do organisations like Citizens Advice and Shelter actually supply housing too? I heard it was zero. Is that actually true ?
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But its not a pet its an assitance animal…think guide dog etc and already illegal for the landlord not to make reasonable alterations for. they arent even allowed to call them a pet for lease or free hold rules 
My support is now to old to provide support and the rest of my firends that could provide support are 300 miles away so I dont have local connection and the council will do nothing
Why, other countires manage to have LL that obey the law, provide secure accomadation and still make a profit why can’t they in the UK?
Citizens advice dont they just advise on the law and your rights, like I have the righto sue the last Landlord for fasiling to accpet an assistance dog…should be worth around £3K, but that will just make me enemies at estate agents and on forums like this and wont get me housed.
I’m not sure about shelter providing housing I dont think so
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If you go back to the Citizens Advice page on this subject you will see the words as follows:
If there’s a term in your tenancy agreement which bans pets, you can ask your landlord to change it to allow you to have an assistance dog. For example, if you’re visually impaired and have a guide dog.
Your landlord must agree to do this if you’re disabled and you need an assistance dog to be able to live in the property. This is known as making a ‘reasonable adjustment’. If your landlord refuses to make a reasonable adjustment, they may be discriminating against you and could be acting illegally.
This wording indicates the burden of proof that there is discrimination is on the applicant (you) to prove on the balance of probabilities. If you have never been to court, it will be a high hurdle to meet.
So if you want to express a view about how wrong things are then this is the place to do it. But if you want to sort the issue of finding a place, I’d suggest you go a check with your local council. They will know the local property market inside out and might be able to give you some ideas.
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"other countries have landlords who obey the law etc etc " You cannot possibly know that that statement is accurate
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shelter and cab provide housing? They have more sense than getting into that
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15 years in Germany and France without an issue and friends still renting there now
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The council said they only act via trading standards after a conviction…I was hoping someone here would have a clever idea as legal action seems counter productive, I might win against an estate agent or a Landlord but then no one will rent to me
I have just googled some questions about renting in France and Germany They have the same problems and difficulties that we have here . Not so different after all
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I had a lady wanted a place for her and her guide dog in a split level flat with 3 flights of stairs
a clever idea as legal action seems counter productive
Legal action may be appropriate in some cases, if you have the time, the money and the skills. But what would you consider to be “a clever idea”. Are you thinking coercion or embarrassing people or trying to check you have the correct search strategy?
If you are going to letting agents, then your chances with an animal (disabled or not) are low. You really need to be looking at specialists or as suggested a couple of times above, the local council for their choice based lettings. The council have less opportunity to discriminate (if this is the problem) than private LL.
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Not around guide dogs and most states dont allow s21
You talk of sueing the last landlord > So like others before you in this forum. you talk of this sort of action , but you want a landlord to help you. All inthe same post . Surely you can see this will not help your case
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The UK uses carpets more that the E.U properties, many having tiles or cushion type flooring. Many main leases prevent animals which the LL has to comply with and at the end of the day it’s the LL choice.
It is not discriminatory to have the choice who you rent too providing those applying meet your criteria.
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I specify no pets because I have a terrible allergy to animals. Personally my household has never been able to keep animals, We can’t visit friends homes who have pets, I can’t go near dogs or cats etc without my eyes puffing up, throat itching and nose streaming,and so to have to manage,work inside and maintain a rental property with an animal living there would be impossible for me.
Not sure where I stand regards my rights as a LL in this type of situation.?
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I would say David79 you have a very good genuine reason.
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I would always advise having a letter from a GP then you are covered as every LL would say the same ! And the tenants and shelter would catch on to it !
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No I said that was the advice I got from Citizens Advice, I said it seemed counter productive