Private rented accommodation and alternative accommodation: Homes for Ukraine
How guests can access the private rented sector, the guides available to them and how DLUHC will work with councils on alternative accommodation.
Applies to England
Supporting guests into private rental accommodation
Guests who are considering entering the private renting accommodation sector (PRS) are directed to guidance about their rights and responsibilities as tenants.
We have published a guide to help guests understand how to rent in England.
We suggest you direct guests to this guidance as a starting point as it will help guests when they are ready and able to move out of sponsorship into independent accommodation.
Using funding for access to PRS
As sponsorships come to an end, we expect the majority of guests will look to find independent accommodation in the PRS. We expect councils to use year one tariff and additional funding for the financial year 2023/24 to support guests to enter the PRS where necessary. This can be done through support for one-off costs, guarantor schemes or similar.
If the prospective landlord requires the guest to have a guarantor
We understand that guarantors may be required for Ukrainian guests. Where this is the case, we recommend considering one of the following options, emphasising that this is not an exhaustive list and councils may have innovative solutions developed at a local level:
a) Council acts as guarantor – as per the Local Government Act 1988, it is possible for a local authority housing or social services department to act as a guarantor for someone they have a duty or a power to accommodate.
b) Families and friends act as a guarantor – families or individuals may be able to draw on their existing networks in the UK to secure a suitable guarantor. Guarantors usually need to be a UK resident and own a property, and usually are a relative or a close friend of the prospective tenant. Councils may wish to support the family or individual to pursue this option.
c) Guarantors via rent guarantee schemes - councils or charities may operate rent guarantee schemes, which provide landlords with a written guarantee that the scheme will cover unpaid rent or damage up to a certain amount. Similarly, there are a range of rent guarantee agreements provided by insurance companies. A council, charity, prospective landlord or family may engage in such a scheme to guarantee the rent over the course of the tenancy. Councils may draw on the Homes for Ukraine tariff funding to fund such agreements.
When a guest needs alternative accommodation
Some guests will be unable to take advantage of any of the options set out above. We’re encouraging guests and their hosts to discuss their options with the local council.
We will share details about offers of accommodation (free or subsidised) made to central government by businesses and charities in your area. Through sharing these offers, we aim to support the provision of accommodation for people from Ukraine moving on from sponsorship arrangements.
We will work with local councils to coordinate large offers of accommodation when they become available.