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Unlawful discrimination

There are legal obligations on landlords both in the public and private sector as service providers and employers, to take reasonable steps to ensure that people are not discriminated against directly or indirectly due to their race, colour, gender or disability. Direct discrimination is defined as treating a person less favourably than another on the grounds of their race, gender or disability.

Indirect discrimination consists of applying a requirement or condition that, although applied equally to persons whether male or female, Black or White, is such that a considerably smaller proportion of a particular racial or gender group can comply with it than others, and it cannot be shown to be 'justifiable'.

Victimisation and harassment are also considered to be forms of discrimination.  Somebody may make comments which are not directly about the tenant but if those comments make the environment hostile, intimidating or humiliating for the tenant they could be construed as harassment.

Log in for detailed information on:

• Racial discrimination
• Disability discrimination
• Definition of disability
• Making reasonable adjustments for disabled tenants
• Examples of reasonable adjustments
• Impact on physical features