§ 1-8. Your landlord cannot discriminate against you
You cannot be rejected as a tenant, refused permission to take someone into your household, or given notice of termination because of who you are. This applies to sex, pregnancy, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation and more. Breaking this rule is discrimination and is prohibited by law.
Machine-translated from Norwegian. The Norwegian text is the one that applies. Read the original in Norwegian.Norsk English العربية Polski Українська
The text of the law (unofficial translation)
When letting rented premises (husrom), no account may be taken of sex, pregnancy, ethnicity, religion, belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or age. Such circumstances cannot be regarded as a legitimate reason (saklig grunn) to refuse admission to a household (husstand), subletting (framleie) or transfer of the tenancy to another person (personskifte), or be given weight when the tenancy (leieforhold) ends. In cases of discrimination, the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act (likestillings- og diskrimineringsloven) applies.
What does this mean?
Discrimination in letting is prohibited. This means a landlord (utleier) cannot lawfully refuse to rent to you — or evict you — because of who you are.
The prohibition applies at every stage of the tenancy:
When you apply for a home: The landlord cannot reject your application because you have a foreign name, are pregnant, use a wheelchair, are over 60, or are gay.
While you live there: The landlord cannot refuse to let you take in your partner, your child or others into your household based on who they are.
When the tenancy ends: Who you are cannot be used as a reason to give you notice of termination (oppsigelse) or terminate the contract.
What can the landlord take into account? Legitimate reasons are: ability to pay and payment history, the number of people in relation to the size of the home (bolig), and relevant information about the person's behaviour. Not who they are — but what they have actually done or genuinely cannot manage.
What do you do if you have been discriminated against? You can complain to the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal (Diskrimineringsnemnda), which handles cases free of charge. You do not need a lawyer. The tribunal can order the landlord to pay compensation for non-financial loss.
Examples
Sara is pregnant and applies to rent a flat. The landlord replies that he "prefers tenants without children". This is discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy. Sara can complain to the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal and claim compensation for non-financial loss.
Petter uses a wheelchair and wants to rent a ground-floor flat. The landlord says no because he does not want "the hassle of making adaptations". This is discrimination on the grounds of disability — regardless of whether adaptations are actually needed.
Common mistakes
- Believing the landlord can choose freely among applicants. The landlord can of course choose, but not based on the grounds of discrimination listed in the law.
- Giving up because it is hard to prove. The Anti-Discrimination Tribunal is easy to approach and free — it is worth trying.
- Believing the prohibition only applies when the agreement is entered into. No — it applies throughout the entire tenancy.
What should you do?
Do you suspect you were rejected or given notice of termination on discriminatory grounds? Write down everything you remember — what was said, when, and by whom. Keep messages and emails. Contact the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal or Leieboerforeningen (the Tenants' Association) for guidance.
What happens if you have been discriminated against? You can complain to the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal at diskrimineringsnemnda.no. The tribunal can award compensation for non-financial loss and order the landlord to change their behaviour. Cases can be handled without a lawyer and are free for the person complaining.