Renting discrimination against non-UK/EU entrepreneurs is becoming a serious problem but not many people are aware of how frustrating it is until they have experienced it themselves.
I speak from experience.
I am Hanya Hesham, the founder of rent inequality campaign and a final year Multimedia Journalism student in Manchester Metropolitan University.
Three years ago, my family were granted a Tier 1 entrepreneur visa which enabled them to establish their private construction business. This type of visa allows its holder that meet the requirements to apply for settlement once they have been in the country for five years.
Last August, my family decided to move houses, we started by contacting a letting agent and went through the tenancy application process that included paying the administration fees. After three weeks of negotiations, calls and emails the letting agent informed us that the property is ours but before moving in we need to go through a referencing process.
It was all good news until my father’s reference application came back saying that a guarantor with minimum earnings of £41,400 is needed or the landlord has a suggestion of signing a six-month contract, paying the deposit and the six month rent upfront. The reason behind this decision was that my father is an investor meaning that he invests his earnings back into the business and no profits is made. We were informed this one week prior our moving date, which is unprofessional because we were left with no other choice.
People often ask us why is it that complicated to move houses although you have been living in the country for a couple of years and you never missed your rent date. While no one knows the answer, we ended up staying in our old house because both options required a huge sum of money that would eventually have a negative effect on our financial statues.
Living in the same house that we rented three years ago is not ideal as our life changed in many aspects. Letting agents and landlords do not consider Tier 1 visa entrepreneurs and their families part of the community but they discriminate against them.
Today, I decided to raise awareness regarding the unfairness of the rent system against foreigners. It is not just about not being able to rent or move houses, but to expose the discrimination and inequality that is rarely mentioned by the media.
I am aware that this issue may not concern everyone as it applies to a single sector of the UK population, but the rent system has been unfair to everyone but different ways.
Together we can uncover racism in rent and stop or at least decrease #Rentinequality.
#RENTINEQUALITY 