May

EXCLUSIVE: Right to Rent legal challenge ‘still to come’ says campaigning group

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A legal charity still hopes to challenge the government over its Right to Rent policy despite failing to convince European judges that it increases racial discrimination in the rental market.

Under the scheme, landlords have to check the immigration status of prospective tenants or face a fine of up to £3,000 or criminal sentence.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) says this makes it harder for people of colour, and people with foreign-sounding accents or names, to rent property as landlords – scared of making a mistake – opt for white people, British people, and those with passports.

Battle

After taking its battle through to the High Court, judges at the European Court of Human Rights (main picture) deemed it ‘inadmissible’ and dismissed the application last May. However, the charity is urging anyone affected by the policy to get in touch as it hopes to bring a new appeal to the European Court.

Mary Atkinson (pictured), campaigns and networks manager at the JCWI, tells LandlordZONE: “We’re working with our lawyers to find people who have been affected by this, perhaps people of colour or migrants who have legal status. Once we can demonstrate this, we hope to continue pursuing it through the courts.”

Leigh Day solicitor John Crowley adds: “Unfortunately, our client was refused permission to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights on the right to rent issue. This was disappointing as the matter is still an area of great concern.”

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