From 1 May 2026, landlords and letting agents in England who advertise "No DSS", "Professionals Only", "No Children", or similar discriminatory terms in rental listings face fines of up to £7,000 per offence — and up to £40,000 for repeat breaches. If you see it, you can report it.
If you've searched for a flat recently, there's a reasonable chance you've seen it. A Rightmove listing quietly noting "professionals preferred." A SpareRoom ad with "No DSS" tucked into the property description. A letting agent's website with an asterisk that reads "employment status checks required."
Many renters — particularly those receiving housing benefit or Universal Credit, or those with children — have simply accepted that this language describes a locked door. Something to scroll past. A fight not worth having.
That changed on 1 May 2026. These terms are now illegal in England. Every one of them. And the people who put them there face significant financial penalties for doing so.
The maximum civil penalty for rental discrimination under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Repeat offenders face fines of up to £40,000.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 makes it an offence for a landlord or letting agent to advertise discriminatory requirements or to refuse tenants based on protected characteristics. Here are the terms you might still be seeing in listings — all of them now illegal:
The "No DSS" debate has been ongoing for years. Some county court rulings in 2019 and 2020 found that blanket "No DSS" policies constituted indirect discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, because they disproportionately affected women and disabled people who are more likely to receive benefits. But these rulings relied on existing equality law and required renters to bring their own legal action — an expensive, time-consuming process that most couldn't afford.
The Renters' Rights Act 2025 changed the framework entirely. It does not require a tenant to sue their landlord. Instead, it creates a civil enforcement regime administered by local councils. A tenant can report a breach, and the council can investigate and impose a fine. The burden is on the landlord to comply — not on the tenant to litigate.
Letting agents are also in scope. An agent who advertises discriminatory requirements on behalf of a landlord is not shielded from liability. The Act covers the whole chain.
Despite the law change, you may still encounter these terms in listings. There are several reasons for this. Some landlords and agents haven't updated their standard listing templates. Some weren't aware of the 1 May commencement date. Others may be testing whether enforcement is active. And some simply haven't noticed the terms are there — particularly on older, automated listing refreshes.
Whatever the reason: it is still illegal. And reporting it takes less time than most renters spend refreshing their Rightmove search.
The Renters' Rights Act also introduced new rights around pets. Landlords cannot apply blanket "no pets" policies in new tenancies. They can only refuse a specific pet request with a valid reason, and they must respond to any pet request within 28 days.
Advertising "No Pets" in a listing is still technically permissible as a statement of initial preference — but refusing a pet request without valid justification once a tenancy is underway is not. If you have seen "absolutely no pets" in a listing and been refused without any reason given, this is worth recording and potentially reporting.
The Renters' Rights Act prohibits landlords and agents from both advertising discriminatory requirements and acting on them. This means:
Publishing "No DSS" in a listing is a breach. But so is quietly refusing an application because the applicant is on Universal Credit, even if the listing didn't say "No DSS." If you were told verbally or in writing that your application was refused because of your benefit status or because you have children, that is a separate and potentially more serious breach — because it involves direct discriminatory action, not just advertising.
Document both. The written record of the refusal reason is critical evidence.
BeTenant App
BeTenant helps you log rental search interactions, date-stamp refusals, and keep a record of discriminatory terms you've encountered — all in one place, ready if you ever need it.
Get BeTenant Free →For renters entering the market for the first time — particularly those who receive any form of benefits, those with young children, or those in non-traditional employment — the Renters' Rights Act represents a significant shift in the rules of a search that has historically been heavily stacked against them.
Alongside the "No DSS" ban, the Act abolished Section 21 evictions, introduced annual-only rent increases, and created new protections around repairs. These are not small changes. They represent a statutory repositioning of power in the private rental market.
The question for renters is not just whether to know these rights — it's whether to use them. The law only protects people who know it exists. If you've seen discriminatory terms, report them. If you've been refused for a discriminatory reason, record it. The enforcement regime is only as effective as the reports that feed it.
No. From 1 May 2026, "No DSS" policies — meaning refusing to rent to people who receive housing benefit or Universal Credit — are illegal in England under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Landlords and agents who advertise or apply such policies face fines of up to £7,000 per offence.
Yes. From 1 May 2026, under the Renters' Rights Act, landlords cannot advertise "Professionals Only", "No Children", or similar exclusions that discriminate against applicants on the basis of employment status, benefit receipt, or family composition. Each offence carries a fine of up to £7,000, with repeat breaches up to £40,000.
Screenshot the listing immediately — these are often taken down quickly. Note the date, time, property address, and the name of the landlord or agency. Then report it to your local council's housing enforcement team. They have the power to investigate and issue fines. You can also report it to the letting agent's professional body if applicable.
Under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, the fine for rental discrimination (including "No DSS" policies) is up to £7,000 per offence for first-time breaches. Repeat offenders can face fines of up to £40,000.
Yes. The anti-discrimination provisions of the Renters' Rights Act apply to both landlords and letting agents. An agent who advertises a discriminatory requirement on behalf of a landlord may also be liable.
Yes. BeTenant is a free tenant protection app built for private renters in England. It lets you log repair issues and disputes directly from your phone, upload photo or video evidence that is automatically timestamped, and generate a formal Evidence Report in one tap — the kind of documented record that matters at a tribunal or in court. The app includes 15+ tools covering the most common situations private renters face: a Rent Increase Checker, a Section 8 Notice Validity Checker, a DSS & Benefits Rights guide, and a letter generator that drafts formally worded letters to send to your landlord or letting agent. A built-in Statutory Timeline Tracker automatically calculates how long your landlord has under law to respond — whether it's a repair request, a rent increase notice, or a deposit return. Free to use. Available at betenant.com.
Not legal advice. BeTenant provides information and tools — not legal advice. For complex matters, seek advice from Shelter or Citizens Advice.