Remember the real estate agent from Espoo who asked for a client’s personal information by disregarding the non-discrimination act? The person in question was a candidate for the Perussuomalaiset* party in the June municipal election. He did not get elected.
Below, it one message that the real estate agent sent Husein Hamiid, who has lived in Finland for over 20 years.
Hamiid has filed charges against the real estate agent to the police about the incident and got in touch with the Federation of Real Estate Agency that sent (30.7) the following email message:
“Hi.
The Federation of Real Estate Agency neither gives advice nor handles complaints or disputes by brokerage firms…Moreover, the guide to good rental practices addresses discrimination. The guidelines state that rental brokerage agreements [between parties] must abide by non-discrimination legislation. The landlord and the broker are free to evaluate and select the [potential] tenant, but this cannot happen on discriminatory grounds. Acceptable criteria include, for example, the future tenant’s financial solvency as well as other factors related to the fulfillment of tenancy obligations. The selection of a tenant cannot hinge – for example – on origin, nationality, religion, or disability. If the applicant meets the requirements, the apartment cannot be left unleased due only to their foreign background. The real estate intermediary is obliged to inform the client of the prohibition of discriminatory practices and refuse to accept such an order based on discriminatory terms.
Best regards,
The Federation of Real Estate Agency
Below, is a reminder of how the Finnish constitution defines non-discrimination:
Will Hamiid see justice, and will his efforts pay off?
The outcome will reveal a lot about how the Finnish authorities treat discrimination.
Is non-discrimination a toothless fancy word, or is it taken seriously?
