Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Housing

Rightmove is following the crowd in banning ‘No DSS’ adverts

After Zoopla scrapped the term in ads and the government pledged a crackdown, the online property giant is removing it too following an 80,000 signature-strong petition

The bid to end discrimination for renters has seen a move away from ‘No DSS’ adverts and now Rightmove are the latest to bow to pressure to do the same.

A petition calling for the online property giant to axe the ads, which sees landlords reject any prospective tenants who are receiving Universal Credit or housing benefit, has reached almost 80,000 signatures – as seen in The Big Issue’s Big List this week.

In recent months, Rightmove’s online rival Zoopla has vowed to remove any ‘No DSS’ terms on their website while NatWest has confirmed that they will no longer prevent landlords on their buy-to-let mortgages from renting to people on benefits.

We believe all prospective tenants should have equal access to the widest possible selection of properties

And the government has also laid out plans to crackdown on the practice too, with homelessness minister Heather Wheeler planning to meet with mortgage providers, landlord associations, tenant groups and property websites to bring in a ban.

That action earned praise from housing campaigners with the National Housing Federation chief executive Kate Henderson calling for “other mortgage lenders and businesses to follow suit”.

Rightmove are the latest firm to react – axing “old language” (DSS stands for Department of Social Security – a title which hasn’t been used since it was replaced by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2001) and writing to letting agents to ask them to outline any restrictions.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

This would involve explaining that mortgage providers prevent lending to claimants on a case-by-case basis – but as mentioned above, NatWest have changed their policies, as have Nationwide and the Co-operative Bank in recent months.

They will also be introducing technology that will automatically remove ‘No DSS’ from the website in May.

“We believe all prospective tenants should have equal access to the widest possible selection of properties,” a Rightmove spokesperson told The Big Issue.

Not enough of a Rightmove

“We’ve asked all of our letting agent customers to explain in their advertisements if a landlord is unable to consider a tenant receiving benefits and why this is. This is in line with guidance from the Competition & Markets Authority that states that the restriction should be mentioned if there is one.

“We’ll also be stripping out old language such as No DSS from advertisements from May.”

Renter rights have been under the microscope this week already – with section 21 orders set to be scrapped in England and Wales to prevent landlords from evicting tenants without providing a reason.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

How many kids, Keir?

Ask the PM to tell us how many kids he'll get out of poverty
Image of two parents holding two small children, facing away from the camera

Recommended for you

View all
Family trapped in damp and mouldy horror home for 10 years: 'This family is owed respect'
Londoner Syed Alam shows the hole in his living room
Housing

Family trapped in damp and mouldy horror home for 10 years: 'This family is owed respect'

Renters' Rights Act: Labour's landmark rental reforms receive royal assent and finally become law
affordable housing
Renters' Rights Act

Renters' Rights Act: Labour's landmark rental reforms receive royal assent and finally become law

The Yo-yo Home files: These are the Right to Buy properties councils have lost millions on buying back
Keir Starmer and a block of flats
Yo-yo Homes

The Yo-yo Home files: These are the Right to Buy properties councils have lost millions on buying back

'I'd rather a haunted house than a dodgy landlord': What's it really like to live with ghosts?
Inside the living room of 30 East Drive, where a poltergeist is believed to live. Image: 30 East Drive
Halloween

'I'd rather a haunted house than a dodgy landlord': What's it really like to live with ghosts?

Reader-supported journalism that doesn’t just report problems, it helps solve them.

Every day, Big Issue digs deeper – speaking up for those society overlooks. Will you help us keep doing this work?