The ten types of tenant Britain’s biggest landlord won’t allow to rent his properties

A landlord has been accused of discrimination after revealing that he won’t let his properties to nine different types of tenant.

The property mogul has banned single mothers, domestic violence victims, people on low incomes, those on benefits and even plumbers from renting out his homes. Fergus Wilson sets out ten rules online about who won’t be able to live in one of his properties. They also include families with children, people with pets, those who smoke, people on zero hours contracts, and single people.

So, really that only leaves couples on a decent income. He says that only those who can provide a rent guarantee and who are able to pay the rent will be able to take on one of his homes this year.

Selling up

Mr Wilson, who runs his property business along with his wife Judith, says he is busy selling off his property portfolio, and does not want to let to families because it can take up to 13 months to get a possession order if he wants to sell a home. Currently, they earn more than 1,000 homes.

His stringent set of rules follows a  bid by Mr Wilson to become the Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent. Last year, he promised that if he did get the position, he would stand up for the victims of domestic violence. However, he now says that he won’t let battered wives and girlfriends live in his properties in case their partners kick down his front doors or damage his properties. He also does not want to rent to plumbers, because he says he has been ripped off by people in that profession in the past.

According to the law, landlords cannot discriminate on the grounds of disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sex or sexual orientation.