Landlord ordered to pay Latvian renter €12,000 after refusing her rent allowance

A veteran landlord has been ordered to pay a renter €12,000 compensation after he was found to have refused her rent allowance because she is Latvian and relies on social welfare supports.

In the case before the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Adjudication Officer, Ewa Sobanska has ordered landlord, David McCarthy to pay Valerie Enners the €12,000 after finding that he discriminated against her on the race ground under the Equal Status Act when refusing to accept Ms Enners's Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme towards her rent.