“No DSS”: Can landlords and letting agents lawfully bar benefits tenants?
Private landlords and letting agents frequently advertise their properties stating that they will not rent to housing benefit tenants (for some outdated reason, still often referred to as “DSS” tenants).
This causes real difficulties to such tenants whose housing choices are restricted.
In this blog, Rachel Crasnow QC considers the legality of such refusals under Part 3 of the Equality Act 2010 (EqA 2010) which deals with discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the context of services and public functions.