Racism in renting exposed by landlord's 'filthy Indians' tirade at horrified student

A Manchester student looking for accommodation claims she was told people from the “Indian subcontinent” would not be accepted because they “lie too much” and “practise deceit”, in a shocking exchange that sheds light on racism in renting.

- HOLLY BANCROFT

Bulbul, 29, said she was “completely shattered” by the email after enquiring about a two-bedroom house on the SpareRoom website. The exchange was uncovered as part of campaign group Generation Rent’s research into the experiences of minority ethnic renters in the UK.

The group found they were more likely than white British or Irish students to experience rude or hostile behaviour from a landlord or letting agent – 38 per cent reported such behaviour compared to 32 per cent of white respondents.

Minority ethnic students were also more likely to report landlords coming into the property when they shouldn’t – 36 per cent to 20 per cent – and more likely to experience an unaffordable rent increase. In total, 145 renters between the ages of 18 and 29 took part in the survey.

When PhD student Bulbul, who did not wish to give her second name, applied for the room in the Hulme area of Manchester, someone she believes to be the landlord emailed her back to say they had had “very bad experience with students/professionals from the Indian subcontinent”.

The offensive email, seen by The Independent, continued: “They lie too much, practise deceit, they are filthy not dirty, opportunists, irresponsible, abscond without paying dues and generally they are poor paymasters. Their reputation and professionalism have gone down the drain within the UK context. As a result I have stopped taking Indian students for quite a while now.”