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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Other areas of social welfare law  →  Thread

Tackling Illegal Immigration in private accommodation.

Rehousing Advice.
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Homeless Unit - Southampton City Council

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The Governments consultation document to put in place a new requirement for landlords to make simple checks on tenants immigration status, due to be introduced to Parliament in autumn 2013.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/policyandlaw/consultations/33-landlords/consultation.pdf?view=Binary

It is according to government a “simple” “light touch” approach.

The Residential Landlords Association appear against the proposal arguing that the proposal will penalise those legally allowed to stay in the country as rents will rise “due to letting agents ramping up fees to cover the costs of further checks on tenants”.

Who Knows?

nevip
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Welfare rights adviser - Sefton Council, Liverpool

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Rehousing Advice.
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THe Home affairs committe looking at the UKBA was not convinced, about the merits of turning landlords into immigartion officers.. 

Paragraph 24 is worth a look. (ouch a painful reminder) 


23. One likely consequence of making it more difficult for irregular migrants to access the
rented housing market will be an increase in homelessness within that group, and an
increase of those living in what the Government describes as “the very worst privately
rented accommodation”: illegally occupied outhouses and unlicensed houses in multiple
occupation.
24. Four years ago, the then Attorney General paid a civil penalty of £5,000 for
unknowingly employing an illegal immigrant. If one of the Government’s Law Officers can
make such a mistake, it would be very easy indeed for the average citizen to do so. The vast
majority of residential landlords are private individuals, most of whom let only a single
dwelling, and for whom letting is not their main source of income.19
25. The proposed new housing measures in the Immigration Bill must not produce a
bonanza for unscrupulous landlords who already operate outside the law, driving more
people into the twilight world of beds-in-sheds and overcrowded houses in multiple
occupation.
26. The Committee is concerned about the implications of this proposal on millions of
private landlords across the county. This additional regulatory burden, in effect
requiring them to carry out immigration checks on behalf of the Home Office, is
challenging. There are over 404 legitimate European identity documents alone

Rehousing Advice.
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THe new guide for landlords in the pilot area is out.

From 1 December 2014, some landlords will need to check that someone has the right to live in the UK before letting a property to them. This includes landlords who take in lodgers or sub-let property.

The right to rent checks only apply to:
•landlords in Birmingham, Walsall, Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton
•all adults aged 18 and over living at the property
•new tenancy agreements starting on or after 1 December 2014


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-rent-landlords-code-of-practice

According to the blurb it only take a couple of minutes, but the guidance is a 30 odd pages….........

nevip
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Oh!  I see.  Target the midlands.  I wonder what message that sends out.

Rehousing Advice.
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http://nearlylegal.co.uk/blog/2014/09/landlord-immigration-checks-1-december/

This is discussed in Nearly Legal.

I really cant see this working…....

You already have a market in illegal unsafe working….. you will create a market in illegal unsafe renting…..occupied by folks with a questionable immigration status.

Folks renting these properties wont come forward as they will be worried about their status, so of course, they wont then contact their council about the dodgy gas boiler that the landlord wont fix…