RENTAL ADVERTS ‘UN-AUSTRALIAN’

Indian tenant ads may be discriminatory

AS Hobart deals with a housing crisis, rooms in the city are being advertised on Gumtree for Indian tenants only. PCYC general manager Allison Ritchie has reported the adverts to Equal Opportunity Tasmania, saying they are “un-Australian”.

ROOMS for rent in Hobart are being advertised on Gumtree for Indian tenants only.

As the city continues to deal with a crippling rental and housing crisis, the Mercury can reveal ads are being placed on the website by prospective landlords searching for Indians only.

One ad specified that it had one furnished bedroom available for rent in Moonah for a Punjabi woman only.

The ads were brought to the attention of Hobart PCYC general manager Allison Ritchie who reported it to Equal Opportunity Tasmania.

“This is wrong,” she said. “It’s totally un-Australian.”

It might be un-Australian — but it could also be breaching the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998, according to Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Sarah Bolt.

“The ads show potential breaches of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tas) because the ads say that accommodation is only available to a person of a certain race, or that a certain race is ‘preferred’,” she said.

“Under the Act, it is unlawful to discriminate against someone because of their race.

“Accordingly, to restrict accommodation to a person of a specific race could be unlawful racial discrimination.” Ms Bolt said Gumtree, which published the ads, may also be breaching the Anti-Discrimination Act.

“This is due to the fact that there are obligations under the Act in relation to publishing discriminatory content,” she said.

“If a person feels that they have been discriminated against, treated less favourably, because of their race, they are able to lodge a complaint under the Act and I would encourage them to do so.”

Ms Bolt said there was an exception in the Act relating to discrimination in accommodation, which allowed a person to discriminate against a person on the ground of gender in accommodation, if it was shared accommodation for fewer than five adults.

Tenants’ Union of Tas- mania solicitor Benedict Bartl said discrimination was “unfortunately” widespread.

He said rental advertisements often excluded people because of their race, or because they had children or because they received government assistance.

“We strongly believe that all landlords and real estate agents should have to use a standard application form for prospective tenants,” he said.

“In our opinion, this will reduce discrimination and lead to a more transparent process.”