Colin D Gordon

“We’re thinking of hosting a refugees from the Ukraine. Since insurers are not renowned for their humanitarian instincts, would premiums increase or would a new policy be required?”. This was the anxious query from an Observer reader based in Leicester to the newspaper’s consumer advice section on 20^th March. The response was that, indeed, in normal circumstances, householders are required to inform their insurer and lender if they have a guest staying with them for more than 90 days.

However, according to the Association of British Insurers, this only applies in the case of Ukrainian refugees if after 12 months they are still in the same accommodation where they first arrived. The iNews correspondent, Grace Gausden, on 16^th March reported that she had contacted several of the UK’s main insurance providers to verify the situation. Aviva told her that, for home insurance purposes, refugees would be covered in the same way as members of the family living in the home, hence no additional notification would be required.

Likewise most of the other companies approached by Gausden, such Direct Line, Admiral and Surewise. Sarah Smith, the Head of Underwriting for Home, Pet and Travel at LV (Liverpool Victoria) General Insurance declared that they are committed to supporting those of their customers who wish to welcome into their home people displaced by the conflict. Ceri McMillan, home insurance expert at GoCompare, nevertheless, suggested that it would be prudent for homeowners to call their insurer to check whether they’d need to make any changes to their policy.

The Guardian’s Chief Political correspondent, Jessica Elgot, pointed out on 15^th March that there are several other important factors that prospective hosts should take into consideration. They are expected, for example,to provide a private bedroom, rather than a shared room. She also noted that the Government’s monthly payment of £350 per residential address (irrespective of the number of individuals sponsored) should be regarded as a “goodwill gesture” to supplement the extra costs that will be incurred by having another family using your home, but as the refugees will have access to the benefits system, healthcare and employment for up to three years, they will quickly in a position to purchase their own food and necessities.

Elgot quoted the warning by Christian Fox, a barrister with Becket Chambers, that offering anything other than a room in the main home, such as an annex above a garage or a cabin or a separate flat, could create a legal “tenancy”. Moreover, if the owner of a second home or investment property allowed several families to move in there, it might need to be registered as a “House in Multiple Occupation” (HMO) under the Housing Act 2004.

Meanwhile, the Cornwall Residential Landlords Association (CRLA) has noted that hosts, whether landlords or tenants, aren’t allowed to charge rent and that all adults in the sponsoring household will be subject to standard security verification such as the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service). The accommodation being offered must be for at least six months, be safe, heated, free from health hazards and provide the guests with adequate access to bathroom and kitchen facilities.

Tenants who have a spare room and want to participate in the scheme need to obtain the permission of their landlord. The arrangement can continue after six months by mutual consent of the landlord, tenant and guest, but a month’s notice should be given if it will be terminated after that initial period. The gov.uk website emphasises that sponsors in the UK can be of any nationality, with any immigration status, provided they have at least six months’ leave to remain within the UK and pass the background checks.

In an article on 20^th March captioned “ Food, Admin, Their own TV – How to make a refugee feel welcome”, the Sunday Times columnist Hattie Crisell, referred to the experience of Essa El Haly, who arrived in the UK from Syria in 2016. He’d appreciated his hosts explaining the basic house rules (such as not smoking in the house or not coming home late and making a noise) early on: In his view, “It’s better to know upfront rather than make mistakes and upset each other”.

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