Since moving to the U.K I’ve been finding a house on OpenRent for my two month old daughter which I’ve never been able to get due to one major reason ‘ because I and my partner we are black’.
It has been a year now since my daughter was given birth to, I noticed that as a black man I can never be able to secure a tenancy on OpenRent because most of the landlords that I’ve met after viewings always end up choosing the white person over us even though I and my partner has all that it take to secure a tenancy but yet still we don’t have anyone to help us secure a tenancy. I sometime wonder what really did we do wrong or where have we gone wrong.
Or was this app only created for white people. Because since I joined this app, all I noticed is the white and Asian landlords don’t want a black living in their houses. I really need answers can someone please help, because this is really killing me and my partner
How do you know the landlords let to someone white?
It makes me sad that people think they are disadvantaged by being black. >I have let to black and white and asian. The only thing that counts is that I like them and they can pay. Many white people cannot find a place to live as you can tell from many of these postings
Most of the block viewing I’ve been attending
Probably you might been different but what I’ve been experiencing from most of the landlords I’ve met, they prefer whites or Asian rather than a black person. It has happened to me countless times and even on Friday the same thing happened to me again. Even though I had to explain to the landlord clearly about my distressful situation with me, my partner and our three month old going homeless, he still went ahead to give his tenancy to someone whom I know personally that didn’t even a job or neither any of the requirements asked for. All because he was white. And guess what? They didn’t even know each other. But the landlord just don’t feel like we can afford the tenancy.
have you worked out your income to rent ratio.?.. . . that is what counts , not how desperate you are for a place. I do not expect figures on a public forum
Boss I’ve done absolutely everything possible that could help me secure a tenancy but all just prove to be futile. I worked full time so does my partner. I even have a verified tenant profile on open rent which I paid for just so we could be able to secure a tenancy and yet still we don’t have one or even anyone to help us out.
Im not sure its being black.
Blacks often overplay the race card, look at lenny henry-made a career out of a sub standard talent thru black privilege.
Mind you i consider different countries carefully. Zimbabwe South Africa Kenya etc can be great tenants but then you come to Nigeria and i am wary.
Polish and Hungarians are great, but for Russia am wary
Just be honest, respectful, prompt and prepare your information and forget your pigmentation, its only a thing in your head, release it
There is an increased risk to landlord in renting to any immigrants over UK nationals. You simply cannot assume colour.
Absolute rubbish.
Landlords go for someone who is proven to be able to pay the rent, has a bank account with history, has good credit, who meets minimum referencing criteria.
I let to a lovely black family. Race does not come into it, it is a business.
Wanted to say the same but was afraid that I’d be accused in racism.
My wife rented her to a young black man who was a full on gangster and yet he over paid his rent and was living elsewhere and was a nice lad !
A lot comes down to gut feeling
I can only speak for myself. My properties are in an area where dominantly white. But I have a family who are black in one of the property. I have rejected quite a few white families for this property simply because of the fact that their affordability and financial stability. Current family came on top and I didn’t even think twice and it is the best decision ever. Any decent landlord will make a decision on simply business terms.
Let’s put another spin on it. Landlords are in the renting business to make secure income, they are not a charity case for people who are having difficulties. That might sound hard, but it’s not.
It’s all about affordability, suitability and risk. What it is not about his colour or religion.
If you can demonstrate you are able to meet the above you will be considered, but in the end is really down to your presentation and honest facts for the LL choice, and yes its choice, it’s their property.
If you have a young child and both working there are risks one of you may stop working, that alters the affordability calculation and hence your or anyone else’s suitability.
The landlord may also not wish for children in the property for multiple reasons .
It’s no good playing the colour game, use suitability and affordability as your focus. If you do meet a LL who has shall we say a different view on your application, move on, like everyone else does.
There are 000’s of tenants looking for property to rent and 000’s who do not meet the criterion but ‘expect’ a tenancy.
Good luck but keep away from racism .
TBH, seeing how easy this person accuses LL of racism (without any evidence), I wouldn’t rent them my place. They will play this card whenever relationships will sour, and they will sour when attitude is wrong.
I couldn’t agree more. These kind of false unfounded accusations just show how unreasonable this person is.
I’m sorry to hear this.
I’m a landlord and I decide on a tenant mainly based on whether the rent can be paid and if they appear honest.
I have rented to black, asian and white people.
I have rented to polish Asians blacks and the ones the who were worst were firemen and nurses all white English !
And I am white English and embarrassed!
Nurses were the worst? Why do you think it was?
They were grubby and treated the place as a doss house and the fireman denied responsibility when his 3 years put a plastic disc in the gas fire vent and I went to court and judge rule in my favour as it had been tested 6 weeks prior !
And upon leaving the abuse was on another level , but this is just one example
For some reason they felt entitled?