I have received two tenants express an interest in the sponsorship of Ukrainian refugees which the Government has announced this morning. Whilst I admire their desire to do this, the legal landlord part of me wonders if this could have an impact on their tenancy? Would the refugee be classed as a permitted occupier, would they have any rights over the tenancy etc, as landlord do we have to undertake checks etc etc. I realise the detail of the scheme is probably not yet issued and I am sure the Guild will update landlords if any details which affects tenancies is released. I have also asked my local authority housing benefit team if the £350/month payments could impact tenants’ entitlements as well.
Thank you
1 Comment
We’re still waiting on the details of this.
They will be lodgers of the tenants, so, in that regard, the landlord isn’t particularly affected. Consent could be given to allow lodgers.
However, a couple of things, in particular, to look out for would be overcrowding also, if the property becomes an HMO (anything with three or more people who are not all related to one another). Being an HMO wouldn’t necessarily make a huge difference. Still, it may trigger licensing (licensing will apply everywhere with five or more occupiers and with less than five people in some areas).
Please see this article about things to look out for.
And this article about HMOs.