The ‘Muslim only’ flats advertised by homeowners in parts of East London in breach of equality laws

Landlords are illegally advertising ‘Muslim-only’ flats in parts of East London as politicians condemn the adverts as ‘disgusting and anti-British’.

Online adverts and social media posts have revealed flats in areas such as Woodford, Stratford and Leyton are being marketed specifically to Muslims.

Although the phrase ‘Muslims only’ is strictly prohibited in advertisements, it is still used by living landlords to ensure they receive applications from those of the same faith.

Others say they prefer a Muslim person to get around the ban, which only applies to those who rent a room in their residence.

Among those outraged by the ads was Reform UK’s economic spokesman Robert Jenrick, who told X: ‘These ads are disgusting and anti-British.

‘It goes without saying that there will be national outrage if the situation is reversed. ‘Will something happen or is this now acceptable in two-tier Britain?’

Sir James Cleverly, a leading figure in the Conservative Party, described the ads as ‘clearly unacceptable’ and warned ministers ‘‘Ensure that the rules are properly enforced immediately’.

shadow housing secretary He said: ‘This is completely unacceptable. ‘Discriminating against tenants on the basis of religion is illegal under the Equality Act and has no place in our housing market.’

‘Reports of “Muslim only” rental adverts in London are a failure of enforcement and a breach of law that undermines fairness for all tenants. Ministers must urgently ensure that the rules are properly enforced and that those who break them face consequences.’

Landlords or renters cannot advertise their property as belonging to a particular religion due to equity laws.

However, for advertisements written by housemates and hostel residents, the rules are more flexible, as new housemates are allowed to choose their religion.

Those who express their religious preference are advised to state this clearly and without exclusionary statements; This means they cannot state that the room is ‘only for Muslims’.

However, they can indicate a preferred flatmate and so an acceptable statement might be: ‘This is a halal house, so we would prefer a Muslim housemate.’

A landlord who advertised a room in a ‘Muslim flat’ in east London insisted he was not racist, telling the Daily Mail he was only highlighting ‘something cultural’ when renting ‘a luxury single room in a male Muslim shared house’.

The man, who did not want to give his name, stated that he did not want to ‘discriminate against anyone’ and said, ‘This is my home. This is not discrimination. ‘We are Muslims in this house’.

He added: ‘It’s a Muslim family but it’s more of a cultural thing. We don’t drink if there’s someone here. We don’t drink at home. This is our culture; It’s not racism. I come from a multicultural part of Mauritius. All my friends are mixed.”

The man lives in a large, £640,000 semi-detached house on a stylish residential street close to the mosque. There is no suggestion that he acted unlawfully, given the exemptions available under the Equality Act.

Listed for £600 per month including bills for tenants on SpareRoom, the room is advertised as ‘A Muslim household, non-halal food, alcohol etc.’ It is defined as ‘prohibited’.

Another £600-a-month room advert reads: ‘Single room in Muslim flat in east London’

The advert was titled: ‘Single room in a Muslim flat in East London’. In the gender section, it says ‘Males are preferred’. The advertisement also reads: ‘Single room for one person. The room is for two people but is only suitable for one person.’ It states that ‘all sports and movies are available’.

The ad explains the house rules: ‘Always pay the rent on time. ‘Try to maintain good relationships with your housemates by always being considerate and respectful.’

When the Mail approached the man the advert was running on Spare Room but he insisted it was ‘very old’ and he no longer rents out rooms. It was later removed.

He said: ‘I don’t know why it’s still there. It should be downloaded. I don’t rent rooms anymore. If you look at the house it’s completely different now. I completely changed the entire decor. ‘It was about ten years ago when I first moved here.’

The Mail also found a separate advert for a ‘spacious, friendly flat for Muslim women only’ in another part of East London. It read: ‘We need a Muslim woman to fill the room for a short time (halal and alcohol-free only).’

A SpareRoom spokesperson told the Mail: ‘Unlike landlords who advertise for tenants as well as housemates who share the same property, they are allowed to express certain preferences when it comes to who they live with.

‘The advert offering two rooms you flagged does not breach any equality laws. One simply states that the current housemates are Muslims. The other ad has not been aired since 2012.

‘If it were deployed today, we would change ‘women only’ to ‘women preferred’ to align with our own policies. We ask flatmates to write their ads clearly and respectfully and ask everyone to avoid using exclusionary language.’

The third advertisement in London includes the statement “Muslim girls are preferred” and adds: “We are a Pakistani family.”

A third advert for another room in another part of London – which has since been removed, but with the correct wording – said: ‘Muslim girls preferred’ and added: ‘We are a Pakistani family.’

The Equality Act means that if you are a landlord or tenant, it is illegal to discriminate against someone you rent (either a room or an entire property) on the basis of ‘protected characteristics’.

These include religion or beliefs; sex or gender; race or ethnicity; disability, including mobility aids such as guide dogs; sexual orientation; gender reassignment and pregnancy or motherhood.

These rules apply to all non-resident landlords and agents; This means no one can refuse tenants, exclude applicants or use wording in advertisements that discriminates on any of these grounds.

However, the rules are more flexible for someone who lives in the property where they are advertising the room. They are then allowed to choose their new housemate, but still not when it comes to race.

SpareRoom insists it will take action on ads that do not comply with this guidance.

In August 2023, a website was launched entirely for housemates who share the Islamic faith.

According to its website, ‘Muslim Roommate’ helps young Muslims who can ‘cook together, pray together and fast together as they go about their busy lives’.

Similar websites exist for other faiths; these include ‘Christian Flatshare’, a non-profit organization that helps Christians find accommodation and a local church community.