It doesn’t seem too long ago that infamous landlord Fergus Wilson was in the news for banning so-called ‘coloured tenants’ from renting properties as he alleged that they left a ‘curry smell’ in the properties. At the time, Stephensons wrote a blog on this topic.
However, it appears that despite the reported outcome of the above referenced case, he has allegedly formed a policy of evicting women with newborn babies, which he purportedly blames on the local council’s “strict rules” on how quickly boilers need to be fixed by landlords in houses with babies. It is understood that he alleges that there is a national shortage of plumbers which means that as a landlord, he may not be able to provide a plumber to deal with a broken boiler “immediately” as stipulated by the local authority when there are children under five in the property.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is reported to have stepped in again, stating that it is “taking action against Mr Wilson in view of his clearly discriminatory policy”.
Despite the policy clearly putting women at a disadvantage, Mr Wilson has purportedly confirmed that evicting tenants who have been renting his homes for four years “was heartbreaking but not discriminatory”.
However, the EHRC is reported to be encouraging “anyone affected by Mr Wilson’s practice to contact them”.
What should you do if you have been discriminated against?
If you feel that have been discriminated against; you should take action. Firstly, you should raise a complaint with the organisation (including landlords) whom you believe to be subjecting you to unfavourable treatment to see if your issue can be resolved informally.
You may also be able to bring a claim in the County Court under the Equality Act 2010, and you should seek legal advice in respect of this.
Please be aware that strict time limits apply, and you only have six months less one day of the discriminatory act to bring a claim for discrimination in the County Court.
If you feel that you have been discriminated against our discrimination law team can help. Please contact our specialist team on 01616 966 229.
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