Landlords ‘will reject tenants with foreign accents’

Landlords will reject prospective tenants because they have foreign accents, following the introduction of new rules imposing immigration checks.

This is according to a number of campaigning groups monitoring the impact of the new rules, which have been piloted in the Midlands before being rolled out across the country.

Ben Reeve-Lewis, a council tenancy advisor, told the Independent: “Landlords tell me that they won’t run the risk of letting to anyone that’s got a foreign accent.”

Meanwhile Martha Mackenzie, from housing group Shelter, told the newspaper: “If you’re a landlord in a high-demand area and you have got two tenants competing for the property, you’re just going to pick someone who’s got a British name.

“People who do have a right to rent will be shut out.”

The new rules require landlords to check that prospective tenants have the right to rent a property in the UK. Those who fail to do so could be fined up to £3,000.

But there has been concern that the rules could mean that those with a legitimate right to rent in the UK are shut out, particularly if they can’t afford a passport.