Landlords are illegally advertising for “Muslim only” tenants across London and the south-east, an investigation by The Telegraph has found.
The listings, posted on Facebook, Gumtree and Telegram, a social media and messaging channel, feature phrases such as “only for Muslims”, “for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls” and “Muslims preferred”.
Others include direct appeals to Punjabi and Gujarati speakers or Kerala and Haryana people, while there are also job vacancies on the platforms that are advertised for men only.
On Facebook, a company called Roshan Properties, which also has a TikTok account, had dozens of listings stating “prefer Muslim boy”, “one double room is available for Muslims” and “suitable for Punjabi boy”.
Others advertised for “Hindus only” while there are also posts from those seeking to rent on religious lines, including one listing that states: “The house should be alcohol and smoke free.”
Facebook took the page down after being alerted by The Telegraph. Gumtree listings also include requests for only Muslim and Hindu tenants.
All the advertisements appear to breach the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination based on religion or belief, race and other protected characteristics.
Landlords who breach the act can be brought to a civil court by a tenant or prospective tenant.
Landlords and letting agents are not allowed to specify a preference for a particular religion or race when letting a property. Under the act, “Muslim only” or similarly specific advertisements are considered unacceptable and discriminatory.
There is a partial exception if a person is renting out a room in their own home and sharing accommodation, such as a kitchen or bathroom, with the tenant.
One of the listings features on an official estate agency website, but with the “Muslims preferred” reference removed.
The law applies even when listings appear on lesser-known platforms such as Telegram, but the platform itself may not be liable if it is just hosting advertisements. However, the person posting it can be.
Major property portals such as Gumtree are not supposed to allow ads that discriminate by religion, race, or gender, and should remove listings that specify “Muslim Only”.
While some landlords may request specific demographics based on dietary requirements – such as wanting only vegetarians in order to avoid meat in the kitchen – applying this strictly through religious or racial profiling is generally prohibited.
The religiously specified rentals are being advertised across the capital in towns and boroughs including Ilford, Newham, Barking, Dagenham, East Ham, Redbridge, Walthamstow, Upton Park, Harrow and Newbury Park.
On Facebook, they are listed on pages such as “Renting room in London for Muslims” and “Muslim rents”.
The messages on Telegram only last for one month before they are deleted, but screenshots discovered by The Telegraph show dozens of listings requesting tenants of specific genders, religions and nationalities.
The Telegraph called one of the landlords listing a room in a Walthamstow house for £450 per month, with the listing stating: “MUSLIM BOY OR GIRL.” When asked if they would take a non-Muslim tenant, the landlord replied “no” and put the phone down.
Another, who was listing a “Muslims only” room to rent in Chadwell Heath said “no” when asked if a non-Muslim could fill the vacancy.
The Telegraph asked a landlord renting a “Muslims only” room in Barking for £850 a month, including bills, whether it was available to those of other faiths, and was told: “Go away.”
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s economic spokesman, said: “These adverts are disgusting and anti-British. It goes without saying that there would be a national outrage if the tables were turned. All forms of racism are unacceptable, and no religious group should get a special exemption to discriminate in this way.”
A spokesman for Gumtree said: “Gumtree has clear policies in place that prohibit unlawful discrimination, and we take reports of inappropriate listings very seriously.
“The ads referenced appear to relate to private rooms within shared homes, where existing occupants may express preferences about who they live with. This is different from renting out an entire property, which is subject to stricter rules under the Equality Act.”
They added: “However, we expect all users to advertise responsibly and inclusively. We actively monitor listings and have tools in place for users to report content they believe breaches our policies, which we actively review and will take action on where appropriate.
“We are continuing to review listings in this area to ensure they meet both our guidelines and legal requirements.”
Telegram and Roshan Properties have been approached for comment.