Petition · past parliament
Ban letting agents from refusing DSS payments from the homeless.
Closed
987 signatures
What the petition asks
There is currently an epidemic of homelessness in the UK. Letting agents and buy-to-let landlords persistently refuse housing to individuals who would pay rent via DSS.
Such actions indirectly discriminate against the protected characteristics of homeless persons, outlined in The Equality Act.
Such actions indirectly discriminate against the protected characteristics of homeless persons, outlined in The Equality Act.
Homeless Stats
Sex (Crisis, 2014)
84% of homeless are male
Sexual Orientation (ATK, 2014)
24% of homeless from the LGBT community.
Disability (Homeless Link, 2014)
73% of homeless have physical health issue (41% are long term)
80% of homeless have mental health issue (45% officially diagnosed)
Ethnicity (The Guardian, 2013)
37% of homeless households are from black and ethnic minorities.
Sex (Crisis, 2014)
84% of homeless are male
Sexual Orientation (ATK, 2014)
24% of homeless from the LGBT community.
Disability (Homeless Link, 2014)
73% of homeless have physical health issue (41% are long term)
80% of homeless have mental health issue (45% officially diagnosed)
Ethnicity (The Guardian, 2013)
37% of homeless households are from black and ethnic minorities.
Timeline
| 1 Sep 2015 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 1 Mar 2016 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
987
Status
Closed
Opened
1 Sep 2015
Closed
1 Mar 2016
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.