May Sar

Jul 6, 2023

We recently contacted Acorn regarding a…

We recently contacted Acorn regarding a flat for rent in Tamworth Place, Croydon. From the beginning we told the agent that we were family (2nd cousins). We arranged the viewing, when we arrived they didn’t have the keys to the flat so we rearranged to the following business day and they cancelled again as they didn’t have the key. Since we liked the building, we submitted our offer after the letting negotiator suggested that the landlord was offering discounts to most tenants. Next minute, the landlord rejected it due to the cost (bearing in mind it was the same reduction given to everyone else but whatever, that’s fair enough). Next minute, the landlord said he doesn’t allow HMOs, at this point we had already made it clear that we’re family and if that’s the case they didn’t specify it in the property advertisement. We thought that either the landlord or the agency were making excuse after excuse to stop us from renting that place. We cleared it again, confimed we’re family and didn’t hear back from them at all. I called again, spoke to a senior lettings negotiator who advised they need evidence that we’re family such as a DNA test or our birth certificates to prove we have the same surnames. Obviously being second cousins we won’t have the same surname, so I offered to write a binding document which they refused because they wanted our parent’s birth certificates (bearing in mind we’re not underage and we’re NHS nurses). Under GDPR, it’s not legal to ask for someone else’s data without their consent especially without telling us how you’ll handle that data. It’s very clear they didn’t want to rent to black Spanish people but what do you expect if your property is in Croydon, Acorn could have been honest about the situation instead of running us around for a almost a week and to be honest they shouldn’t be taking on racist landlords with ther gentrification plans. Integrity over money. Safe to say we won’t ever deal with them again.