COULD YOU LET A HOME TO A REFUGEE FAMILY?
The Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement scheme (SVPR) enables the most vulnerable families to be relocated from refugee camps in the Middle East to a safe country where they can rebuild their lives.
Elmbridge Borough Council has committed to resettling up to 15 families under this scheme. But finding landlords with suitable homes to let is a huge challenge.
If you have a home to let, read our interview with Alex, an SVPR landlord, to find out more about the process and find out whether this scheme could work for you.
Elmbridge Borough Council has committed to resettling up to 15 families under this scheme. But finding landlords with suitable homes to let is a huge challenge.
If you have a home to let, read our interview with Alex, an SVPR landlord, to find out more about the process and find out whether this scheme could work for you.
"We're lucky to have this chance to help them..."Interview by Katie McIntosh | July 2019
Alex rents a home to a family settled through the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement (SVPR) scheme.
He lives in Molesey with his wife Helen and four children. I chatted to him over a hot chocolate about why he chose to be involved in the scheme, and how the process works. |
Image © Jazzmany / Shutterstock.com
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How did you hear about the need for properties for the SVPR?
I know Elmbridge CAN well – I’m friends with Jeannie, who set it up. I remembered the first family that was settled here in Molesey and I saw how important that was… the positive impact it had on the family and the local community. I had been keeping an eye out for ways to help the charity. I’m an Anglican minister and when I joined our local church, St Peter’s, it came with a property that was rented out to a family. When those tenants gave their notice to move I immediately thought of the SVPR scheme and how useful this house could be to a family desperate for a safe place to live.
What was the rental process like?
Really straightforward. It was actually easier than when we rented out the house privately because the council managed the tenancy agreement. We were able to negotiate the agreement really swiftly and as soon as we knew the existing tenants were moving out we were able to sign a pre-agreement with the council.
Does it work out financially the same as renting through an estate agent?
Yes - if not better. We didn’t have to pay any [agency] fees and the council also covered void property costs (the rent for the time the property was empty; after the previous tenants left and before the new family arrived). It was a win-win situation. We needed new tenants and they needed somewhere to live that would be safe.
Did you have to commit to any particular length of rental?
The SVRP scheme asks that landlords agree to a two-year rental agreement. That’s what we’d want if we were renting through an agency anyway.
So where does the rent come from? Who pays you?
The rent comes directly from the council and it’s also guaranteed by the council. It’s such a water tight system – we had to get the church to agree to it and they wouldn’t have done unless the process was perfect.
What about bills?
Apart from providing a couple of meter readings before the family moved in we haven’t had to do anything at all. These are all managed by the council whom, I believe, liaise with the family directly on payment.
And repairs?
We are responsible for carrying out any repairs, the same as if we had rented the property through an estate agent.
Did you have to do much to prepare the property for the family?
Nothing beyond what we’d do for a family we were renting to through an agent. We wanted to show the family love by making it as nice as we could – we decorated it and worked with Elmbridge CAN to source good quality second-hand furniture so it was ready for them to move straight into when they got here. You wouldn’t have to do this as a landlord though, we chose to.
What made you want to be involved?
The people the SVRP scheme helps are in a desperate situation. This was an opportunity to welcome them into our community here in Molesey and give them some support. We wanted them to feel settled and welcomed.
Have you met the family you’re renting to?
Yes, one of their sons and my daughter have swimming lessons at the same time, so we always meet up then. I also spent some time in their school doing assemblies every week so I see one of the boys quite frequently. We run sports camps and the whole family often come. It’s very hard as they are still learning English, but they are part of the community and becoming more so every day. We’re lucky to have this chance to help them in some way.
What would you like to tell other landlords considering doing this?
If you know you’ll need tenants soon, or need them now, contact Elmbridge CAN who will set you up with someone in the council who manages this process. You should be able to secure rent to cover any period the property is left empty before the family can move in. Don’t worry about furnishing the property if you’re unable to (Elmbridge CAN is able to do this) they desperately need properties, furnished or unfurnished. The process is incredibly simple, makes sense financially and you’ll be helping to settle a family in a desperate situation. Go for it!
I know Elmbridge CAN well – I’m friends with Jeannie, who set it up. I remembered the first family that was settled here in Molesey and I saw how important that was… the positive impact it had on the family and the local community. I had been keeping an eye out for ways to help the charity. I’m an Anglican minister and when I joined our local church, St Peter’s, it came with a property that was rented out to a family. When those tenants gave their notice to move I immediately thought of the SVPR scheme and how useful this house could be to a family desperate for a safe place to live.
What was the rental process like?
Really straightforward. It was actually easier than when we rented out the house privately because the council managed the tenancy agreement. We were able to negotiate the agreement really swiftly and as soon as we knew the existing tenants were moving out we were able to sign a pre-agreement with the council.
Does it work out financially the same as renting through an estate agent?
Yes - if not better. We didn’t have to pay any [agency] fees and the council also covered void property costs (the rent for the time the property was empty; after the previous tenants left and before the new family arrived). It was a win-win situation. We needed new tenants and they needed somewhere to live that would be safe.
Did you have to commit to any particular length of rental?
The SVRP scheme asks that landlords agree to a two-year rental agreement. That’s what we’d want if we were renting through an agency anyway.
So where does the rent come from? Who pays you?
The rent comes directly from the council and it’s also guaranteed by the council. It’s such a water tight system – we had to get the church to agree to it and they wouldn’t have done unless the process was perfect.
What about bills?
Apart from providing a couple of meter readings before the family moved in we haven’t had to do anything at all. These are all managed by the council whom, I believe, liaise with the family directly on payment.
And repairs?
We are responsible for carrying out any repairs, the same as if we had rented the property through an estate agent.
Did you have to do much to prepare the property for the family?
Nothing beyond what we’d do for a family we were renting to through an agent. We wanted to show the family love by making it as nice as we could – we decorated it and worked with Elmbridge CAN to source good quality second-hand furniture so it was ready for them to move straight into when they got here. You wouldn’t have to do this as a landlord though, we chose to.
What made you want to be involved?
The people the SVRP scheme helps are in a desperate situation. This was an opportunity to welcome them into our community here in Molesey and give them some support. We wanted them to feel settled and welcomed.
Have you met the family you’re renting to?
Yes, one of their sons and my daughter have swimming lessons at the same time, so we always meet up then. I also spent some time in their school doing assemblies every week so I see one of the boys quite frequently. We run sports camps and the whole family often come. It’s very hard as they are still learning English, but they are part of the community and becoming more so every day. We’re lucky to have this chance to help them in some way.
What would you like to tell other landlords considering doing this?
If you know you’ll need tenants soon, or need them now, contact Elmbridge CAN who will set you up with someone in the council who manages this process. You should be able to secure rent to cover any period the property is left empty before the family can move in. Don’t worry about furnishing the property if you’re unable to (Elmbridge CAN is able to do this) they desperately need properties, furnished or unfurnished. The process is incredibly simple, makes sense financially and you’ll be helping to settle a family in a desperate situation. Go for it!
Interested in renting out a property?
Please drop us an email. Or if you don’t have a home to let, please help us spread the word – download our housing appeal flyer and share it with friends, family and work colleagues or ask for it to be included in a local newsletter or on a noticeboard in local shops or libraries.
Together we can transform the lives of refugees.
Please drop us an email. Or if you don’t have a home to let, please help us spread the word – download our housing appeal flyer and share it with friends, family and work colleagues or ask for it to be included in a local newsletter or on a noticeboard in local shops or libraries.
Together we can transform the lives of refugees.
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Elmbridge Borough Council info on housing Syrian refugees
Download and share the housing appeal leaflet
Read our interview with Abdul
Download and share the housing appeal leaflet
Read our interview with Abdul