UK landlords caught promoting ‘Muslim solely’ leases in main regulation breach
An investigation has uncovered landlords across London and the South East allegedly advertising rental properties exclusively for Muslim tenants, in apparent breach of equality laws
Listings identified spanned large areas of east London(Image: Getty)
Landlords throughout London and the south-east have been discovered unlawfully promoting properties solely for Muslim tenants, in apparent violation of equality laws. Advertisements exposed across platforms including Facebook, Gumtree and Telegram feature wording such as “Muslim only”, “only for Muslims” and “for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls”, sparking renewed worries about discrimination in the private rental market.
The probe revealed that some adverts went considerably further, outlining preferred nationalities or languages, including demands for Punjabi or Gujarati speakers, or tenants from areas such as Kerala and Haryana. Additional listings also limited vacancies by gender, with some job advertisements stating “men only”.
Several of the posts were connected to a property company operating on social media, where numerous listings declared “prefer Muslim boy”, “one double room is available for Muslims” and “suitable for Punjabi boy”, reported The Telegraph.
In other instances, landlords promoted properties for “Hindus only”, while some tenants themselves pursued accommodation along religious boundaries, including requests for alcohol-free and smoke-free homes.
Facebook later removed one of the pages hosting such listings. Nevertheless, comparable adverts remain visible elsewhere, especially on smaller or less regulated platforms, reports the Express.
Telegram, which automatically deletes messages after a set period, was discovered to host dozens of posts outlining religion, nationality, or gender requirements. Under the Equality Act 2010, landlords and letting agents are forbidden from discriminating against potential tenants based on protected characteristics such as religion, race, or gender.
Promoting a property as “Muslim only” or enforcing similar limitations is deemed direct discrimination and can subject landlords to legal proceedings in civil courts.
There is a narrow exception where a landlord is leasing a room within their own home and shares amenities like a kitchen or bathroom with the tenant.
Beyond these situations, however, the law is explicit: blanket restrictions based on religion or ethnicity are not allowed.
Some landlords try to rationalise preferences on practical grounds, such as dietary habits or lifestyle choices. While it may be lawful to request, for instance, a vegetarian tenant to avoid certain foods in shared areas, framing such preferences in overtly religious or racial terms veers into unlawful discrimination.
The listings identified cover areas including Ilford, Newham, Barking, Dagenham, East Ham, Redbridge, Walthamstow, Upton Park, Harrow and Newbury Park, indicating the practice is widespread rather than isolated.
In some instances, discriminatory language was removed from properties’ listings on official estate agency websites, even though it had been present in earlier versions of the adverts.
Direct communication with landlords showed little uncertainty. One person advertising a room in Walthamstow for £450 per month, described as appropriate for a “Muslim boy or girl”, declined completely to consider non-Muslim tenants.
Others replied in a similar manner, with one landlord in Chadwell Heath rejecting the notion and another in Barking dismissing enquiries from those of different faiths.
Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick said: “These adverts are disgusting and anti-British. It goes without saying that there would be a national outrage if the tables were turned. All forms of racism are unacceptable, and no religious group should get a special exemption to discriminate in this way.”
Reach PLC has contacted Gumtree and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for comment.
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