Dey King and Haria Estate Agents

Under the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Citizens Advice guidance, refusing tenants simply because they have children may amount to indirect discrimination, especially against women, because women are statistically more likely to be primary carers. Blanket policies like “No children” can therefore be legally risky for landlords. However, landlords may still refuse an application for other lawful reasons, such as: • The property is genuinely too small for the household under overcrowding rules. • Affordability concerns. • Bad references or credit history. • The building is unsuitable or unsafe for children. If the only reason is “you have two children,” you can: • Ask the landlord or agent to explain the reason in writing. • Challenge the decision through the letting agent’s complaints process. • Get advice from Citizens Advice or Shelter UK. Also, landlords are generally not allowed to advertise blanket bans like “No DSS” or “No children” without justification, as courts have found some of these practices discriminatory.