The landlord does have the right to investigate the solvency of a potential renter, but he has to do it individually. He can’t exclude a whole group of candidates as a whole by principle. Also, the landlord is not allowed to simply decline all guarantees provided by the candidate, such as a deposit or a proof of correct payment of earlier rent bills, says CEOOR’s Jozef De Witte.

The judge has now ordered the discriminating landlord to stop. If he doesn’t, the man has to pay a EUR 500 fine. Mr De Witte calls the verdict an important precedent. ‘The so-called “housing diversity barometer” has shown that this kind of discrimination occurs a lot, especially on the private real estate market’, Mr De Witte explained. ‘This verdict answers to an urgent call by renters who are all too often confronted with discrimination when they are looking for a place to live.’

Flandersnews.be / Expatica