Landlords

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 resettle in the UK, by renting 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

How much rent will I receive?

You will receive rent according to Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates. For example, the rate for a 3-bedroom house in Sevenoaks is £1130 pcm and for one in Swanley it's £1050 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 is approved for use by SDC and a tenant family has been identified (by Kent County Council’s Resettlement Team)

Who will use my property?

The SVPRS scheme is for Syrian refugees who are currently in the Middle East. They have been identified as vulnerable by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. In 2020 the government is amalgamating all its refugee resettlement programmes into one, called the Global Resettlement Scheme (GRS), which will continue beyond 2020. 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.

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.