Are landlords allowed to block foreigners from renting?

[ScottulusMaximus]

Well that's the thing, I DO want to cause a fuss. Where's a good place?

I agree about the disclosing idiocy upfront part, but this isn't right.

Rental ombud or Equality Court probably... To what end though? You're not going to get the place and being mired in bureaucratic nonsense for months to prove a point is just daft.

 

[Sepeng]

So found this online:

https://www.privateproperty.co.za/advice/property/articles/letting-to-foreigners/5186

"It is in the landlord’s best interests to ask for a substantial deposit, when letting to a foreign tenant, to cater for potential defaults and legal fees. This is one way to recoup any potential losses that may be incurred.

However, the decision ultimately lies with the landlord who should judge each case individually, as certain foreign individuals may be more viable as tenants than others. "

So I'm no lawyer but the article suggests they'd be within their rights to refuse occupancy based on the fact that your wife can't get blacklisted for example? It's slightly different to your case though as you're being discriminated against for being married to a foreign national so I'd be keen to know what the actual rules are.

 

[battman]

Landlords need to be wide awake- as the proposed tenant is unemployed, warning bells will ring loud. Very Loud.
Why not put the place in just your name?
We had an Austrian/German couple renting from us, refused us entry to our house, also never paid rent for 7 months and their 11 dogs trashed the house inside, we had to redo the the whole place including the carpeting and the garden was a dust bowl.
In addition they left us with over R15000 debt excluding interest with the city council which by law now becomes the owners problem.
Not to mention the cost of lawyers and personal frustration with getting people who are also verbally abusive and non paying removed.
The law protects delinquent tenants, it is expensive and difficult to get them removed.
If you have never gone through this, you have no idea, this little exercise cost over R150K. The lesson is learned and the school fees are paid in full.

 

[Foxhound5366]

Yes, we've all had horror stories of tenants, and a good few horror landlords as well. That is irrelevant: I have a positive rental history that stretches back further than they could ever have bothered to check, and a flawless credit record. This was just mindless discrimination, plain and simple, and the point of logging a case with something like the rental tribunal (if they'll even hear the matter) is purely to help the next person down the line.

 

[Tomtomtom]

This was just mindless discrimination, plain and simple, and the point of logging a case with something like the rental tribunal (if they'll even hear the matter) is purely to help the next person down the line.

As mentioned up-thread, you should probably move on. Wrestling with pigs and all that.

He's almost certainly discriminating illegally. If not on national origin then on the marriage requirement. But smarter landlords and agents achieve the same discriminatory effects by legal means, so all that's surprising about this situation is that this guy admits to it.

Horror stories from the landlord side should sound warning bells for the tenant as well. Right on this thread we have a landlord who expects to be allowed entry to "his house". He also seems to expect his tenants to take care of debt obligations written in his name. He obviously doesn't understand the business.

Never rent from landlords who don't know what they're doing.

But no need to punish them either. The market will take care of that.