“No kids or pets sorry” –
Trade Me pulls up landlord for discriminatory ad
An ad for a Nelson flat on Trade Me that stated “no kids or pets sorry” has been pulled up by the online marketplace for discrimination.
Trade Me Head of Trust and Safety Lisa Kerr said after being notified of the ad, staff made contact with the poster and the listing was amended.
“The phrase has been removed from the listing,” she said.
“We do not tolerate discrimination on our site, and we take matters like this seriously.”
Kerr said discriminating against tenants based on their family status was prohibited under the Human Rights Act.
A spokesperson from the Human Rights Commission said prospective tenants who believed they had been discriminated against could contact the commission or Tenancy Services for information or to lodge a complaint, after which mediation could take place.
“Complaints that are not resolved may be able to proceed to the Human Rights Review Tribunal or the Tenancy Tribunal for determination,” the spokesperson said.
In 2019, Aucklander Josephine Rawstorne was told by her property management company she would breach the tenancy agreement’s maximum occupancy limit by having a baby.
She said having children always seemed to come with a caveat, in the rental market.
“It’s kind of in the same realm as having a pet now, I feel,” she said.
She had her second child in January and said she now had landlords who were supportive of the growing family.
Renters United advocate Geordie Rogers said he had seen similar ads before.
“It’s an example of landlords being able to dictate a large part of how renters live their lives,” he said.
Rogers said Trade Me should be more proactive about detecting ads that discriminated against certain renters.
Kerr said Trade Me had tools to monitor listings across the site and members could hit the “community watch” button at the bottom of a listing if concerned.
“It is important that when someone is renting out a property they’re honest, so everyone is on the same page, and they’re not wasting anyone’s time.
“However, we don’t want our members to be discriminatory when writing their ads,” Kerr said.
If you have a preference for who lives in your Rental Investment property Tauranga Rentals Ltd are always available to discuss your requirements.