Landlords are being forced out of the market warns industry body
1 year ago | 2 comments
One in 10 renters with children say they face rental discrimination
9:44 AM, 10th April 2025, 1 year ago
17
One in 10 parents who rent their homes report feeling discriminated against when searching for new accommodation simply because they have children, a study by FCC Paragon highlights.
The lettings solutions provider says that the Renters’ Rights Bill will eliminate parental discrimination and that new rule, plus the ban on Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, will be ‘welcomed by all’.
The research, based on a survey of 1,000 renting parents, found that most of these parents depend heavily on the PRS, with 83% having rented for more than a decade.
Family sizes vary, with 36% of respondents caring for two children, 29% for one, 20% for three, 10% for four and 5% for five or more.
Despite only 5% of those parents believing their offspring have damaged rental properties, 41% encountered obstacles finding homes that meet their family’s needs.
RRB will be good news
The firm’s managing director, Bekki Leaves, said: “Raising a family on the rental market can be challenging.
“Not only do you have to secure an affordable property that is large enough to accommodate all family members, but you’re also going to be in competition with people who don’t have children.
“When given the choice between renting to a family with young kids, or a professional couple without, for example, some landlords are likely going to opt for the latter simply because it’s perceived that they’re less likely to cause damage or disturbance in the property.”
She added: “If the proposed Renters’ Rights Bill can contribute towards improving accessibility and security for parents on the rental market, it will be a positive step welcomed by all.”
Parental status discrimination
Also, 11% of those surveyed felt discriminated against during their housing hunt due to their parental status.
However, FCC Paragon says that hope is on the horizon with the proposed Renters’ Rights Bill (RRB), which will ban blanket refusals of tenants based on personal situations.
Those include having children or receiving benefits.
Under the proposed rules, landlords and agents will retain the ultimate decision on tenants but they must evaluate each applicant individually.
That means not having ‘no children’ or ‘no DSS’ policies.
Tags:
family housing UK, landlord policies, parents renting, Private Rental Sector, renters rights bill, Tenant rights, UK rental discrimination
Comments
Have Your Say
Every day, landlords who want to influence policy and share real-world experience add their voice here. Your perspective helps keep the debate balanced.
Not a member yet? Join In Seconds
Login with
or
Related Articles
Tenants shun bills-included rented homes
1 year ago
A third of landlords consider quitting the PRS to avoid rising costs and new laws
1 year ago | 4 comments
Member Since October 2023 - Comments: 204
9:35 AM, 12th April 2025, About 1 year ago
Thats like saying car insurance companies “discriminate” against people who dont have driveways to park their cars!
But unlike insurance companies, landlords can not charge higher for tenants that have children.
So we avoid the risk when possible.
Member Since April 2023 - Comments: 175
10:02 AM, 12th April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by David100 at 12/04/2025 – 09:35Yes. My insurance has increased from £950 to £2800 in 4 years. I’ve had one quote this year for £3800 but they want EICR’s every three years and mandatory to have a RICs valuation at an extra cost of £500+. So I would have to have all my EICR,s done early just for the insurance at a cost of £1500+. Grand total of insurance this year £5,800. My costs are going up at a much higher rate than my rents so yes I will avoid tenants with a higher risk factor to cut down on maintenance between tenants. If my insurance does end up costing me this, that will be the end of our career as a landlord.
Member Since March 2022 - Comments: 49
11:26 AM, 12th April 2025, About 1 year ago
1 in 10 ?
Member Since May 2024 - Comments: 204
11:32 AM, 13th April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Slooky at 12/04/2025 – 08:14
Slooky, not sure if it’s of any help to you but I just got a really good insurance renewal from Gallagher and it was about 10% cheaper than the year before. Original quote was for nearly double the cost but after a quick phone call, it dropped dramatically.
Member Since April 2023 - Comments: 175
5:15 PM, 13th April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Desert Rat at 13/04/2025 – 11:32
Thank you. I will have a look. Our building is listed so I first make sure brokers deal with listed buildings. It’s so frustrating because I have asked the broker to find out what the problem is to see if it’s something I can change but apparently the underwriters will not say why.
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3515 - Articles: 5
2:46 PM, 17th April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Slooky at 13/04/2025 – 17:15
I have G2 listed properties – try Acrisure. Not sure if they deal with customers direct or you have to go through a broker. The broker I use is Falcon Insurance.
Hope that helps
Member Since April 2023 - Comments: 175
2:51 PM, 17th April 2025, About 1 year ago
Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 17/04/2025 – 14:46
Is it rude to get a general idea how much you pay. 4 years ago I was paying 1K, last year I paid 3.6K with no cover for flood and quite high excesses, now the cheapest quote is 3.7K with conditions such as doing EICR’s every 3 years. Cheapest quote from Gallagher came in at 5K but that is before it’s been referred to underwriter, could go up or down and could have conditions.