– It looks as if you have no value. That’s how she feels. “Kaja” receives work clearance money from Nav. She wishes to remain anonymous, but wants to tell her story because she believes many people have experienced the same thing as her. “Kaja” has received rejection after rejection from home owners. – The second you say “I’m unemployed”, they are startled. Two out of ten have experienced being discriminated against in the rental market, shows a survey from the Consumer Council. “Kaja” is one of those who are discriminated against the most. People with a low income or a Nav guarantee are discriminated against more than others in the rental market, according to the Consumer Council’s report “Renting a home”. After that comes ethnicity, age, gender, religious background and language. Feeling the prejudice In recent years, “Kaja” has not been able to work due to illness. Like everyone else, she needs a place to live. It has not been easy to find. – It seems that everyone has a prejudice. Photo: Ingeborg Undheim / news The first time “Kaja” was to move on her own, she was on several screenings. The screenings usually went well at the start. The landlords seemed positive towards her. Right up until they asked what she was doing. When she said that she got money from Nav, the landlord’s face changed. – They don’t see your personality. They don’t see that you have the ability to pay, she says. – Why can’t other qualities, such as the fact that I am tidy and can take care of the flat, be more important than how I spend my money? Even if she shows how much money she gets paid, they don’t think she can pay, she says. – I don’t go to screenings I can’t afford. Photo: Ingeborg Undheim / news The Norwegian Directorate of Labor and Welfare does not have an overview of how many Nav users experience being discriminated against in the rental market, according to Nav department director Jan Erik Grundtjernlien. He says that Nav offices can help people who have challenges entering the rental market, regardless of whether the person accepts other services from the public sector. – The individual can get advice and guidance from Nav to solve different types of challenges, for example if they have a demanding housing situation, home situation or if they need help to find a permanent place to live, he says. Losing her self-image After six months, the woman in her 20s gave up finding a place to live in the private rental market, and had to move to a municipal housing estate through Nav. – My self-image becomes non-existent when I get rejection after rejection, all the time. Now she is looking for a new home with her boyfriend. “Kaja” says that she feels guilty that they are struggling to find a place. The boyfriend is full time. – I feel I am the problem. If you refuse to rent a home to a person because they receive money or other support from Nav, without assessing the tenant’s finances, you are discriminating, according to the Equality and Discrimination Ombudsman (LDO). This is the message “Kaja” received from the landlord. Photo: Private People who receive work clearance allowance are usually ill for a longer period or undergoing treatment. – Then it can also be linked to reduced functional capacity, says senior adviser in LDO, Azari. A refusal from the landlord can then become extra problematic. Photo: Ingeborg Undheim / news Nevertheless, it has been challenging for “Kaja” to find a place to live. – What do you think people think when they hear that someone gets support from Nav? – They probably think “she doesn’t have her life in order”, she replies and elaborates: – Maybe I don’t have a plan for what I’m going to work on yet or have a plan for my psyche, but I can have a plan for everything else. Got several rejections Marius Noreg Mellem (29) has been looking for a place to live in Trondheim for over two months, and checked through more than 600 advertisements. He is a social type, and even though he has a full-time job, he cannot afford to buy a flat yet, so a shared room is perfect for Mellem. – It is cheaper and social. It turned out not to be so simple. Marius Nordeng Mellem has experienced not being able to rent a house because of both age and gender. Photo: Private – There were several rejections due to both age and gender, he says. Many of those he contacted did not respond, or said they did not want him. – Those who answered me said they wanted girls. I didn’t get an explanation as to why. Old at 29 His age would also prove to be a problem. At 29, he was told that he was too old. – In recent years, it has been strange to receive the message “no, sorry, you can’t live here anyway. The people who live here don’t want anyone older than 27,” he says. 11:35MMMarius Nordeng Mellem: Hello! I’m a 28-year-old guy from Tromsø (see tenant profile on hybel.no) who has just finished his degree as a filmmaker and now works at news Newton in Tyholt. Your advertisement on hybel.no sounds great and I am interested in a viewing (digital if not physical). Is there a possibility for that? 12:22 ULandlord: Hello! Sorry, but we are looking for a student or someone under the age of 27. Good luck in the future 🙂 – I see myself as quite young, he says. Mellem believes that he is being discriminated against because of his gender and age. – I’ve had periods where I get really upset, and where I’ve lost heart, he says. For him, renting based on gender is narrow-minded and old-fashioned. Several have experienced being discriminated against because of their age. The same applies to gender, according to the report from the Consumer Council. Landlord: Hello! Thank you very much for your inquiry, but we are basically looking for a girl to live with (forgot to mention that in the ad). Good luck going forward! MMMarius Nordeng Mellem: Oh, sad! Thanks! Of the cases LDO judges about discrimination in the rental market, gender is among the top three. – Gender is often already mentioned in the announcement, says senior adviser Shorish Azari. There are, however, exceptions. It may be legal to opt out because of gender In some cases it may be legal not to rent to someone because of gender. Then you have to have a factual reason for it, says Azari. It could be, for example, if the landlord himself is to live in the apartment, and share the bathroom and kitchen with the relevant people. Shorish Azari in LDO encourages you to contact the Equality and Discrimination Ombudsman if you experience discrimination in the rental market. They can give you advice and guidance on what to do if you feel discriminated against in the rental market. Photo: EQUALITY AND DISCRIMINATION OMBUDET It can also apply to collectives. – If it is a collective where several people of the same sex live, then to a certain extent you can emphasize that, he says. This is not always the case, because there may be boundaries and gray areas that the Discrimination Board has to look at a little more closely. – But as an exception, one can, after a concrete assessment, place emphasis on gender, if there are several of the same gender there already, says Azari. He emphasizes that this does not apply to other factors such as religion or ethnicity. The Equality and Discrimination Ombudsman provides guidance, while the Discrimination Board deals with complaints. The Discrimination Board can decide on compensation for documented financial loss. Personal characteristics On Finn.no or Hybel.no, one can find with a single click many advertisements with different requirements from landlords to tenants. There are examples of them making demands on language skills, number of overnight guests per week or circadian rhythm. This is shown in a report from the Norwegian Student Organization (NSO). In the report, they have gone through the websites Finn.no and Hybel.no. NSO has found examples of personal characteristics being emphasized, and this can serve as a basis for selecting away people who do not want to rent on the basis of their belonging to discriminated groups. Is it discrimination that landlords require language skills, or is it a gray area? Take the quiz below and get an answer from lawyer Shorish Azari: Hi, do you have any thoughts about the case you’ve read, or input on other cases we can make about students on the rental market? Have you experienced discrimination, expensive rental prices or have you simply mastered the rental market? We want to hear your story! Feel free to send us an email.
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