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Landlord migrant check scheme trialled in Midlands
A government scheme to force landlords to check the immigration status of their tenants is to be piloted initially in four Midlands areas, a minister announced today.
James Brokenshire, Home Office minister, said the trial would commence in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell from 1 December.
Under the new measure, brought in under the Immigration Act 2014, it will be illegal to grant tenancies or lodging arrangements to illegal migrants.
Landlords will be required to take reasonable steps to ensure their tenant is a lawful resident of the UK.
Housing associations and private landlords will be subject to the new duties, however, they will not apply when prospective tenants have been nominated by the council.
This is because local authorities are supposed to have already checked the immigration status of prospective tenants before they nominate them to housing providers.
Hostels, care homes and student accommodation are exempt from the rules.
A panel of landlords, letting agents, charities and councils will evaluate the Midlands pilot before the programme is rolled out elsewhere.
Matt Downie, director of policy and external affairs at homelessness charity Crisis, said: ‘It is hard enough for homeless people to find a place to live and we are concerned that asking them to prove their immigration status to landlords could make matters worse.
‘Homeless people’s documents often get lost or stolen during periods of moving around or when sleeping rough and replacements can be expensive.
‘In today’s high-pressured rental market, landlords are unlikely to wait for a tenant to produce the required documents, choosing instead to rent to someone who can immediately provide the evidence.’
