The Race Relations Act does not apply where the landlord (or a near relative) lives in the property and shares some of the living space with the tenant (which includes a bathroom or kitchen, but not just a hall, staircase or entrance).

If you are a council or housing association tenant and you are racially harassed by other tenants, you should tell the council or housing association. Many organisations have policies to protect tenants against harassment. They may take out an 'injunction' through the courts, to get the people to stop harassing you. They may also be able to evict them.

The Sex Discrimination Act covers contract and part-time workers as well as full-time or permanent staff.

.: The Human Rights Act.

The Human Right Act 1998 has a wide-ranging discrimination provision which includes types of discrimination that are not covered in other discrimination laws. However, it can be used only when it is part of one of the other articles' (the specific principles) of the act, such as the right to 'respect for private and family life'.

Also, rights under the act can only be used against a public authority (for example, the police, a local council or the Benefits Agency), and not a private company. However, court decisions on discrimination will generally have to take into account what the Human Rights Act says.

.: How will I pay for my case?

If you are claiming less than £5,000, your case can be dealt with fairly simply and cheaply on the 'small claims track'. If you do this, you won't need a solicitor to represent you, but you should get advice before starting your claim.

If you are claiming more than £5,000, you need to think carefully about how you will pay for your case, because the costs can be very high. If you cannot afford to pay for court action yourself, there are several ways you may be able to pay for you case. These are:-

• The Commission for Racial Equality may take on your case, for example, as a test case'.
• You may be able to get funding from the Community Legal Service (formerly called Legal Aid), provided you meet certain conditions.
• You may be able to find a solicitor who wilt take on your case under a 'no-win, no-fee' agreement.