NEARLY half of landlords entangled in the government’s controversial “right to rent” scheme revealed yesterday they were likely to discriminate against would-be renters without British passports.

The pilot scheme — currently being rolled out in five West Midlands council areas — requires landlords to check prospective tenants’ immigration statuses if they are suspected to not have the right to remain in Britain. The homeowners face a fine of £3,000 if they “break the rules.”

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), which carried out a survey on landlords and tenants affected by the scheme, found that 42 per cent of homeowners said the policy put them off considering tenants who could have complicated immigration situations, while 27 per cent said they were reluctant to consider those with foreign accents or names.

JCWI legal and policy director Saira Grant warned that the policy “encouraged discrimination.”