If 100 people apply to rent the same house, how could you possibly prove you were discriminated against based on employment status? I'm pretty sure a landlord can rent to whichever applicant they like, and could probably use 'good vibes' as their reason for renting to the chosen tenant.
Correct.
Especially if you're moving from somewhere else. That's another reason the "no DSS" thing is unfair. When I moved to London from Birmingham, the landlord I ended up renting from luckily wasn't bothered and just wanted to know I had the "entry fee". But other rooms I viewed wanted proof of employment upfront. Being a too-honest teenager at the time, I initially made the mistake of admitting I didn't have a job yet but would find one once I'd moved in. That wasn't good enough because they wanted me to have a job first and didn't want DSS claimants (never mind that I wasn't even on benefits and had no intention of signing on until I'd exhausted my savings!). But no London employers would consider me until I had a local address. Perfect catch 22. All it does is teach people to lie. The room I ended up taking, the landlord asked what I did and I just said I worked at Woolworths, which was true as I hadn't technically left yet, but I left out the fact that it happened to be my Saturday job up in Birmingham. Anyway, he was satisfied with that and didn't ask further questions, so sometimes it can help to be truthful but not tell the whole truth, depending on who you're dealing with.
