Discrimination - I was disgusted

[HiEquity]

Couldn't agree more elsLan. If a person is a smoker, you ask do they only smoke outside, do they pick up their cigarette butts etc. This isn't discriminating against smokers, merely doing appropriate due diligence on behalf of the owner, given likely scenarios that could come up.

BTW, there is nothing illegal (to my knowledge) about discriminating against smokers (or pet owners). You see it all the time in those flatmate ads looking for non-smokers. So discriminate away if you wish!

Unless the RTA says something about it? Can't remember seeing it but it wouldn't surprise me come to think of it...

 

[Francesco]

Did the agent say "My landlord hates people who cook with spices- so your tenants cook with spices?"

That would determine racial discrimination.

I hate it when a delivery man throws a package on my lovely roses and crushes them and breaks what's inside, but I don't hate him because he's not australian when he does that. I hate his actions that result in my months of pruning and caring for something is destroyed because he's too damn lazy to open the little gate and put the package next to the door. Oh and the fact that an item marked fragile and worth $200 is broken when I open it up"........

I like your approach. Any question to follow up about potential bad habits of certain culture is not discrimination. The fact is spices will likely be used liberally hence it is natural to wonder whether the ventilation system and kitchen will be able to cope with that situation. If that has been managed well before, how was it done? Then move on to the next issue of due diligence, not get overly excited when there is cognisance of the ethnitcity involved.

Disclaimer: For what its worth I have rented to Indians and Pakistanis and self managed and used PMs. Peace.

 

[RightValue]

Are you serious?



So, man walks up to you in the street, and says he hates black people - do you ask him to rephrase his question, or do you take him to task?

That is not a question it is a statement.

 

[savoys]

If I was asked about great tenants, I would not be saying "I am not comfortable in answering the question"

If they were great tenants, then I would have told the agent !

 

[Nemo30]

I think it is also important to note that Erik runs a business which is in direct competition to the company he is complaining about...

 

[buster]

Are you serious?

I should have "asked the agent to rephrase the question?"

So, man walks up to you in the street, and says he hates black people - do you ask him to rephrase his question, or do you take him to task?

The issue we have today is people are too soft, or weak, to stand up for others' basic rights.

And did you not read my post? These tenants were perfect - no issues with inspections, smell or food. But again, this is 100% beside the point; we are not here to justify discrimination.

Shame on you.

So why didnt you help them as Mattnz said and just answer the damned question and say they were perfect tennants and the house didnt smell !. Refusing to answer the question makes it look like there is a problem with them. The agent is standing up for the rights of the LL to choose who he will put in HIS house. You are the one who seems to be making race an issue.

 

[MsAli]

That's a shame. Our house doesn't smell

We have Indian tenants and Iraqi tenants. None of those places stink. So that is a rather unfair question. I'd prefer going for good quality tenants as opposed to "professional" tenants...and I could be wrong but believe that most people who move to Australia on skilled migration would be people of integrity who have worked hard and would be paying rent on time and hopefully looking after your place.

The agency should give them a break!

 

[weg]

Perhaps the agent has had genuine experience with food smells and Pakistanis - very possible and not a discrimination thing if that's the case.

It's a bit like asking if young single people had parties and/or neglected a place. I would still ask these Q but let out the place if the agent said 'no, they were great tenants'.

Infact I just let out a place to a just turned 20yo single mum, but didn't get a chance to ask any Q's that I had in mind (to do with maturity in this case) to these 2 different agents, other that "I'm ringing for a referrence", because they both piped in with 'Ooo such a nice girl, always pays her rent on time, I'd rent to her again'

So I'm with Mattnz on this one.

 

[Risky Business]

I don't have a problem with the question. My friends have avoided renting houses that smelt of the previous tenant's cooking.

The property manager is identifying potential problems with applicants. The owner can then make a risk management decision.

You say racism. I say cautious from lessons learnt.

 

[Dazz]

Wow - I can only assume you'd also judge an applicant based on creed, race of ethnicity.

Wow - your assumption is a complete nonsense.

If that's all you can do it's pretty sad. Your self appointed "rental guru" status is slipping chief.

The vast majority of my Tenants all have the same surname - Pty Ltd. As such, they have no creed, race or ethnicity.

I select my Tenants, some of them worth many billions of dollars, based on criteria that would make your little business' head spin.

 

[redwing]

I've been looking at display homes recently and the "scullery" seems to be making a resurgence, I commented to a couple of sales people that they it's funny to see these in tnew houses as they used to be around in my grand-parents or great grand -parents time and I had several respond that a lot of Asian and Indian buyers liked the scullery as they cooked with heavy spices and many liked the separate preparation area

Maybe the call could have gone this way...?

First question, "I see that the tenants are Pakistani - they must use a lot of spices when cooking; does the house smell?"

Response, “no, not all, the house is kept in great condition, never smells and they have been exemplary tenants for the last two years, we’re sad to see them leave”

Next question….

I didn't see that they had been discriminated against, questions had been asked and a suitable response given

If they didn't get the rental and the decision was proved to be based on race, sex, age, etc then possibly?

 

[kum yin lau]

Hi there & sorry if I offend [inadvertently].
My agent said he tried to make sure that one of the tenant is a woman on the implication that she would upkeep the place.

Then," ... one Pakistan man is bad enough, but two of them together, that's worse."

So he would not pass a lone Pakistani male applicant. He said that the tenant would then bring his mates.

I'm afraid I agreed wholeheartedly.

BTW that agent wasn't very capable & got the sack from me.

KY

 

[ErikTyler]

I agree with elslan and Terry. There is no breach of the Racial Discrimination Act that I can tell - I suggest you read it. At no stage did this agent say "I hate black / brown people". He/she just asked whether these tenants left your property in a smelly state or not. He/she would likely ask the same question of pet owners, students, bikies or many other people.

The fact they asked the question is not evidence of discrimination. Actually, quite the reverse. If he/she discriminated against Pakistani people, no question would have been asked - the application would have just been rejected, likely without explanation. The fact they asked the question means they only actually wanted to discriminate against people who left their properties in a smelly / dirty condition (a perfectly legitimate form of discrimination), not people of Pakistani ethnicity alone (illegal).

I can only suggest you try looking at this from a different angle... on the evidence presented to date I'd be happy to have this agent managing my property. But as sanj said, a lot can be conveyed in the tone of the conversation and that may of course be the missing link - only you can judge that because we weren't there!

100% incorrect.

Asking a question with reference of ethnicity or race, which can be conscrued to influence the outcome, is seen in the eye of the law as discrimination.

You cannot base a decision on race, marital status, sexuality - if a question even verges on mentioning the above, then it is discrimination.

The reference check was completed - again, I would ask that everyone read the original post - the PM was told that the tenants were perfect, no issues, inspections great, rent always early - THEN the question of their ethnicity and their cooking style came into play.

This is the issue.

 

[ErikTyler]

If I was asked about great tenants, I would not be saying "I am not comfortable in answering the question"

If they were great tenants, then I would have told the agent !

READ THE ORIGINAL POST!!!!! The complete reference was done, and we explained that the tenant was brilliant.

 

[ErikTyler]

I think it is also important to note that Erik runs a business which is in direct competition to the company he is complaining about...

I raise an issue on discrimination - you turn this into agency vs agency?

 

[ErikTyler]

So why didnt you help them as Mattnz said and just answer the damned question and say they were perfect tennants and the house didnt smell !. Refusing to answer the question makes it look like there is a problem with them. The agent is standing up for the rights of the LL to choose who he will put in HIS house. You are the one who seems to be making race an issue.

I don't normally like repeating myself, but you obviously can't read.

The reference check was completed, and we informed the agent that the tenants were perfect.

So, if a landlord asks you to discriminate, that makes it ok? You've got to be kidding me.

 

[ErikTyler]

Wow - your assumption is a complete nonsense.

If that's all you can do it's pretty sad. Your self appointed "rental guru" status is slipping chief.

The vast majority of my Tenants all have the same surname - Pty Ltd. As such, they have no creed, race or ethnicity.

I select my Tenants, some of them worth many billions of dollars, based on criteria that would make your little business' head spin.

My status is slipping? State who you are, who you work for, and your business credentials, and we can then see if you're in a position to judge the validity of my status.

You have tenants worth "billions" of dollars? You're having a laugh, chief.

Again, qualify yourself by providing your agency information and webpage, and we can then talk more.

 

[The Y-man]

You have tenants worth "billions" of dollars? You're having a laugh, chief.
.

Actually, I believe he does.....

The Y-man

 

[ErikTyler]

Actually, I believe he does.....

The Y-man

I'll wait for him to answer.

 

[turk]

READ THE ORIGINAL POST!!!!! The complete reference was done, and we explained that the tenant was brilliant.

Read the original post, can't see where you stated the complete reference was done.

Can see these points

"First question, "I see that the tenants are Pakistani - they must use alot of spices when cooking; does the house smell?"

"Anyway, conversation pretty much ceased after that"