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Calling all landlords!
Are you a landlord with property in the local area? If you are, you can choose to join a UK Government scheme which is helping refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and other countries to rent self-contained properties from private landlords. Please see the details below and contact us for an informal discussion.
Testimonials from participating landlords
“The family are excellent tenants!”
“What an uplifting experience!”
“It has been a positive and enriching experience!”
“They seem to have settled in well and it is a delight!”
What are the property's requirements?
1-4 bedrooms
Self-contained
Available for at least 24 months
Furnished or unfurnished
Accessible by public transport (ideally)
How much rent will I receive?
You will receive rent according to Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. For example, since April ‘24 the rate for a 3-bedroom house in Sevenoaks is £1323 pcm and for one in Swanley it's £1200 pcm.
Some incentive payments may be available to landlords.
How does the tenancy agreement work?
The terms of the tenancy agreement are similar to a normal private tenancy agreement
It is between the landlord and the family
For a minimum period of two years
Rental is paid monthly in advance at the beginning of each month
Rent is paid by the refugee family to the landlord or his/her agent. In some cases the rent may be paid by Sevenoaks District Council directly to the landlord
Rent is paid to the landlord from when the property has been approved for use by SDC and a tenant family has been identified (by Kent County Council’s Resettlement Team)
Who will use my property?
These schemes are for refugees who have been identified as vulnerable by the UK Government, often working together with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. In 2020 the government amalgamated all its refugee resettlement programmes into one, called the Global Resettlement Scheme (GRS) Anyone coming to resettle in the area under the scheme will be closely supported.
The scheme will be:
Targeted: at vulnerable refugees, through the government scheme
Limited: using private landlords ensures social housing is not impacted for local families
Safe: refugees will be screened by the Home Office, as well as the UN
Urgent: directed at vulnerable families, especially women and children at risk
Integrated: refugees will be supported by various groups
What happens if the property is damaged or in poor condition at the end of the tenancy?
As with a normal private tenancy agreement, a cash deposit of up to 6 weeks rent is provided (along with one month's rent in advance). The cash deposit has to be registered with one of the approved protection schemes and a claim for any damages (at the end of the tenancy) would be submitted via the protection scheme.
We are also looking for more volunteers in this area, with a number of interesting jobs ranging from seeking new landlords and properties to liaising with tenants and landlords as well as some other more practical types of positions.
Further information available on request. We can also put you in touch with existing landlords for a confidential discussion of their experiences on the scheme.
If you're interested please provide your email address below and we'll get in touch.
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