The Workplace Relations Commission found that landlord Dr. Rafid Kashan was responsible for discriminatory conduct by his agent toward tenant Rachel Few during initial discussions about her Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) application. The decision, dated 30 November 2023, ordered Kashan to pay Few €250 for distress.
Few said her agent initially implied the landlord did not accept HAP and that she feared eviction if she pursued the application. Kashan said he had agreed to HAP and blamed processing delays on queries from public offices and an agent's illness.
The WRC found that bureaucratic delays did not amount to discrimination, but that the agent's initial conduct did. It also ordered Kashan to donate €250 to TRESHOLD. In plain terms, a landlord can be held legally responsible for discriminatory acts by an agent acting on his behalf.