Backpacker barred from renting a room 'because Australians are drunks and racists'

'Just as France is famous for vine and cheese. Australia is famous for its drunks and racists. I’m sorry I need to reject this request'

via Laura Gratton's Facebook (Facebook)

An Australian woman was rejected from renting a spare room in Edinburgh after the landlord said "it is well know [sic] in Europe that Australians are racist".

Laura Gratton, 24, was rejected via text message after she enquired about renting a room in the £400 per month two-bed apartment.

The landlord advertised the room on spareroom.co.uk, and rejected Ms Gratton's application after citing that Australia's racism is as well known throughout Europe as France's love of wine and cheese.

In the text message the landlord said: "Hi Laura, it is well know [sic] in Europe that Australians are racist. In fact around the world your people are famous for this.

"Just as France is famous for vine and cheese. Australia is famous for its drunks and racists. I’m sorry I need to reject this request."

Speaking to the Metro, Ms Gratton said: "When I first received the response I thought it was just a joke but then I realised that he was being serious.

"I was angry and frustrated that someone could think like this and say it to me just because of where I was from.

"Australia is a multi-cultural and very accepting country. There are race issues like any other country – but the actions of a few shouldn’t be used to judge anyone from that country.

Responded to the landlord's text, Ms Gratton said: “Well, you obviously are quite racist putting such labels and speculations on a whole race without knowing the individual."

A spokesperson for spareroom.co.uk told the Metro: "If we’d spotted anything like this in someone’s ad we’d have removed it instantly. Messages are a different matter as we don’t know unless someone complains, which hasn’t happened in this case.

"Dismissing a whole nation as racist is, frankly, ridiculous. There are clear laws about discrimination when it comes to renting rooms but it’s not just about what is and isn’t legal – it’s about treating people as you’d want them to treat you.

"We’d always expect people to take each other on the basis of who they are, rather than which ‘boxes’ they tick."