Can my landlord discriminate against me?

No. Landlords cannot discriminate against you on the basis of protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010: race, sex, disability, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, or age.

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 added two more specific protections on top of the Equality Act: landlords cannot refuse to rent to you because you receive benefits, and they cannot refuse because you have children. Both of these were previously common practice — they're now explicitly illegal.

Discrimination can be direct (being told "we don't rent to X") or indirect (a policy that looks neutral but disproportionately affects a particular group). Both are unlawful.

If you believe a landlord has discriminated against you, document everything: screenshots of adverts, messages, emails, and any verbal conversations noted down with dates. This evidence is what makes a complaint stick.

You can report discrimination to your local council's housing enforcement team, or take a case to a county court under the Equality Act. For benefit and children discrimination specifically, you can also report to the council under the Renters' Rights Act. The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) at equalityadvisoryservice.com offers free help and advice.