Matthew Pennycook has said the Renters’ Rights Act gives councils stronger powers to act against rental discrimination, as ministers face calls to tighten how rejected applicants are treated in the lettings process.
The latest clarification came in a parliamentary written answer after Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi asked whether landlords and letting agents should be required to explain why a housing application had been unsuccessful. Pennycook said the act already extends protection to applicants with children and those receiving benefits, and gives local authorities investigatory and enforcement powers to deal with practices designed to block them from tenancies.
For landlords, the answer matters because it points to how ministers expect the new rules to be enforced in practice. The immediate risk is not only obvious “No DSS” style wording, but also quieter screening methods that councils may view as indirect discrimination once complaints are made.
Ministers point to existing enforcement route
Pennycook said the act now makes it illegal for landlords and agents to discriminate against prospective tenants because they receive benefits or have children. He said councils have powers to investigate and enforce where landlords or agents use either direct or indirect methods to stop someone entering a tenancy.
The government’s landlord guidance already says applicants cannot be made less likely to rent a property because they have children or receive benefits. That includes refusing viewings, withholding details about availability, or refusing to grant a tenancy on those grounds.
Matthew Pennycook, housing minister, said the new regime addresses both overt discrimination and other practices used to prevent someone entering into a tenancy.
This follows Residential Landlord’s report on the anti-discrimination rules that took effect in May, and its coverage of government guidance on older guarantor arrangements. The latest answer suggests ministers are still focused on how front-end tenant screening is handled, not just on paperwork after a tenancy starts.
Landlords should also note Pennycook’s signal that further codes of practice are still coming. He said a non-statutory code for property agents will be published later this year, while the future private rented sector ombudsman will be able to publish its own guidance and codes for landlords once established.
Landlords may face closer scrutiny over screening decisions
That does not yet mean landlords must issue a written explanation every time they reject an applicant. But it does raise the pressure to keep decisions evidence-based, consistent and clearly separated from protected characteristics covered by the new rules.
In practice, landlords who reject tenants over affordability, references, arrears history or failed checks will want records that show those decisions were proportionate and applied evenly. The more the sector moves into ombudsman oversight and council-led enforcement, the harder it may become to rely on informal or poorly documented screening habits.
Official guidance for landlords is available from the Housing Hub’s Renters’ Rights Act overview.
Opinion
This answer does not create a new duty to justify every rejected application, but it does confirm the government’s direction of travel. Landlords who still treat anti-discrimination rules as a branding issue rather than an evidence issue are taking the wrong lesson from the act.
