Commitment to stamp out discrimination against tenants in Bristol

Councillors have pledged to crack down on rogue landlords and protect private renters on benefits in Bristol.

A Labour motion committing the city council to stamp out discrimination against vulnerable tenants received overwhelming support at a full council meeting on Tuesday, January 11.

It means the council will beef up future landlord licensing schemes and refuse permits to those who refuse to rent properties to welfare recipients.

Letting adverts stating “No DSS” – referring to the Department of Social Security, the old name for universal credit and local housing allowance – have been ruled unlawful in the courts but are still commonplace in the private rented sector.

The motion also commits the local authority to run public awareness campaigns of tenants’ rights, help renters take letting agents to the property redress scheme, work with the West of England Combined Authority to update its code of good management practice and create a local action plan to formulate policies.

Only the Conservative group voted against it, claiming a line at the end of the motion calling for a reversal in the cut to universal credit and higher benefits had been tagged on deliberately by Labour so the Tories could not back it, even though they agreed with the rest of it.

About 15 councillors left the chamber and did not take part in the debate or vote after declaring a pecuniary interest as either a private landlord or renter.

Moving the motion, Labour cabinet member for housing delivery and homes Tom Renhard said: “Many private landlords are only renting to certain types of people in our city.

“People who receive benefits, those who are on lower incomes, those who do not have a guarantor, those who are self-employed, freelance – all of these groups are being prevented from renting homes.

“This is because of discrimination that plays out through demands for projected incomes, employment checks, up-front payments or outright refusals.

“Bristol City Council has limited powers when it comes to the regulation of the private rented sector.

“However, where we do, under this administration we will be exercising them, whether that is through introducing new landlord licensing schemes, applying for banning orders for the worst rogue landlords in this city or highlighting the support we can provide to renters across Bristol.”

Tory group leader Mark Weston said: “95 per cent of the motion we utterly agree with. DSS discrimination is an abomination.

“It’s the last paragraph that almost feels like councillor Renhard went ‘Oh gosh, I’m in danger of getting complete consensus so I’ll bolt on a final paragraph which means the Conservatives can’t support so we can’t have unanimity in the chamber’.”

Tom Hathway, a Green councillor for Clifton Down, said benefits claimants faced “ongoing prejudice” when looking for a home to rent.

“Over the course of the first year of the pandemic there was a 64 per cent increase in private renters claiming housing benefit in Bristol,” he said.

“As mentioned in the motion, ‘No DSS’ policies filter out those in receipt of welfare for housing when selecting new tenants for a property.”

He said the Greens welcomed the commitment to eliminating these practices.
“This is so important in stamping out the idea that those in receipt of welfare are somehow less deserving of that roof over their heads,” Hathway added.

Sarah Classick, a Lib Dem councillor for Hengrove & Whitchurch Park, said the discrimination meant marginalised Bristolians could not find secure housing.

“Couple this with the loss of incomes and an increase in the amount of people relying on universal credit due to the pandemic and you have a serious recipe for increasing homelessness in the city,” she said.

The council has licensing schemes in 12 central wards and three areas to the east – Eastville, St George West and Stapleton Road in Easton – which give officers the power to inspect most private rented properties and take action where housing standards are not met.

Cabinet members last month agreed to extend these to Brislington West, Bedminster and Horfield from April.

Main photo: Shelter Bristol 

Adam Postans is a local democracy reporter for Bristol 

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