Ban on renting to bachelors ruled unlawful in Islamabad

The federal ombudsperson for protection against harassment in Islamabad has declared housing restrictions imposed on bachelors and single individuals as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

Federal Ombudsperson Fauzia Waqar ruled that any policy preventing individuals from renting a residential property is unlawful. The decision came while adjudicating a complaint filed by a woman who was refused a rental home solely on the basis of her single status.

According to the ombudsperson’s findings, basic utilities such as electricity and water were deliberately disconnected in an attempt to harass the female tenant.

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The ruling emphasised that marital status or gender cannot legally justify denying an individual the right to rent a house.

The ombudsperson stated that such discriminatory restrictions violate fundamental constitutional principles, including equality, human dignity, and the freedom to reside.

The observations have been formally circulated to federal and provincial authorities, rent controllers, housing regulators, local governments, and all relevant stakeholders.

The complainant’s matter has been resolved, and the case has been formally disposed of.