Mass appropriation of rental properties for asylum seekers?

Surely stating that your tenants have to be asylum seekers is discrimination against other tenants ? How can this be legal ?

What it says is:

"We are responsible for over 30,000 asylum seekers in an ever growing portfolio of more than 6000 properties. Our operating model is based on leasing properties from a wide network of landlords, investors and agents with Serco acting as a Tenant."

So if Serco acts as the tenant pays the rent on time and in full, ensures the property is looked after and takes action if the asylum seekers don't behave properly and upset the neighbours then I don't really have a problem with what they are doing. I've never rented a property to Serco and I've no idea whether they do all the above or not. I don't know whether my insurance would cover me for this or whether my mortgage company would be happy with it. I don't know what guarantees Serco provides to landlords but I have an open mind about it.

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 28/10/2022 - 11:10Well Serco are discriminating then aren’t they ? I wouldn’t let my property to Serco as it’s only going to encourage more dinghy invaders to cross the channel. I doubt the Government have any will to stop. But I don’t want any part in encouraging more of it thank you very much.

Serco are offering MINIMUM terms of five years. Therefore theses properties will be *completely* removed from the ordinary private rented sector for that period. There may as well be a great big claw that plucks the house from the ground and plonks it on a separate planet, such is the devastation it could cause! Even if the boat people completely stopped tomorrow the properties are locked into that contract, which could, potentially, see them sat empty! Can you imagine the backlash when their brains catch up...especially as the contract period will also run beyond the next General Election into the next Government, which will very likely be a completely different flavour (I think their deal with Govt. is over 10 years). It makes you wonder if the Govt. award enough money to the likes of Serco such that they can take every single rented property in the country, what exactly is the plan for the native population...?

As it's being done on taxpayers money (£1.9bn...Serco's biggest award to date) I'm someone intending on taking up these generous offers whilst simultaneously leaving for sunnier climes.

Talk about conflict of interests...Serco also provide 'Border control and immigration services' which could mean for every entrant a blind eye is turned to, is another 'customer' in desperate need of being housed...at a cost, of course!

No different from renting to a Housing Association if renting to Serco as having no say in the sub-let tenant(s).

Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 28/10/2022 - 12:17
It's *VERY* different. Housing Associations are governed by different requirements. This is a private contract to house people that were, previously (as in three days to five minutes ago), not here. Housing Associations may or may not overlap with the same, but their brief is fundamentally different (hence my 'big claw/separate planet' analogy).

Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 28/10/2022 - 11:56
Ditto - I've sent them an email to ask for more info. The only thing that concerns me is if for all in tense and purposes that are and HMO - am I as the owner going to have to go through the whole palava with licencing, or do Serco as the direct LL and it being a 'special contract' mean I'll be exempt from all this???

The total irony in all this is that I actually approached BCC stating that I would be happy to give them my houses to fill with those FAMILIES on the existing council list (not migrants). They have complained about so many exempt accommodation HMO's in the area they are refusing licences. What they don't realise is that families don't want to move in because of the number of HMO's in the area.... I've approached BCC to ask fi they want to take me properties for temp accommodation instead but they have never replies.

The result - empty houses.

Now Serco want to take the same houses and put in migrants instead....who am I to argue??

As long as I can get some certainty over what they are offering and full clarity over my legal obligations...they can have the lot!

The government made this mess. They reap what the sow

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 28/10/2022 - 11:10
I am interested in the finer detail too. Suddenly they have not choice than to look at LL's to fill the void, despite the same government branding us all rogues.

I suppose they would argue that's clearly not the case. They are simply employing a company to assist..... (at the cost of billions in taxpayers money...)

Local Councils are getting wise to the HO desperation and making sure they are looking at every piece of legislation and planning that may have been broken to throw back at private LL;s who lease them hotels and B&B's in a bit to stop these contracts continuing...

Lots of hotel owners are now also seeing the negative impact floods of migrants are having on an area and thinking they'd rather not get involved...

We might be last on the list, but private LL's with a couple of houses in an area are now being approached....well it will be one way of avoiding the EPC C rating for sure!!!

Reply to the comment left by Judith Wordsworth at 28/10/2022 - 12:17
...only they are going to have to offer the LL a lot more than the LHA .....

Yes DSR I agree, it’s obvious what Serco are doing here, they’re struggling to persuade more hoteliers to sign up (the hotels are full) so in desperation they’re approaching the PRS. It was going to happen eventually. As far as I’m concerned these “refugees” can all stay in war torn France.