Reverse plans to remove licensing requirements for landlords housing asylum seekers

The London Assembly is concerned about plans by the Government to allow landlords to house asylum seekers for two years without a house in multiple accommodation (HMO) licence.

This will result in asylum seekers no longer being entitled to various protections including electrical and gas safety certificates, minimum bedroom sizes, and working smoke alarms on every inhabited storey.

Because of this, it is today calling on the Government to reverse plans to exempt landlords from HMO licencing requirements when housing asylum seekers.

It is also urging the Government to set out how it intends to address the backlog in asylum claims so that asylum seekers can have their status regularised more quickly and restart their lives in the UK.

Sem Moema AM, who proposed the motion, said:

“London has a proud history of welcoming refugees. For centuries, our city has provided a safe haven for those fleeing violence and oppression.

“It is right that the Assembly makes the case for safe, secure housing for refugees. Removing vital housing protections cannot be the way to achieve this. Licensing for houses of multiple occupation is there to keep people safe; removing this for migrants will put vulnerable people at risk.

“Instead of removing rights from asylum seekers, the Government should instead focus on addressing the backlog in asylum claims and work to increase the speed at which claims are assessed so that those granted asylum can properly restart their lives in our city.”

Hina Bokhari AM, who seconded the motion, said:

“Housing standards should not be a privilege. Housing standards are there to protect health, wellbeing, and even lives.

“Unsafe accommodation is not the solution to the UK’s asylum system. Prompt, compassionate processing of claims, with the aim of helping people to get their lives back on track in safety and dignity is the solution.

“The Home Office must get on top of the processing backlog: people’s lives are in limbo as they wait for their claims to be decided. If we bring down the backlog, we won’t need to house people for as long.”

The full text of the motion is:

London has a proud history of welcoming refugees from across the world and refugees have made vital contributions to life in our city.

The Assembly notes, with concern, that the plans announced by the Government which would exempt landlords providing houses in multiple accommodation (HMO) accommodation to asylum seekers from obtaining a licence from the local authority for two years.

This will result in asylum seekers no longer being entitled to various protections including electrical and gas safety certificates, minimum bedroom sizes, and working smoke alarms on every inhabited storey.

HMO licensing plays a vital role in ensuring that tenants can access safe accommodation and provide landlords with clarity over their responsibilities. We note that properties will continue to be independently inspected by civil servants. However, experts such as Polly Neate, the Chief Executive of Shelter, said: “Licensing for HMOs was brought in to keep people safe. By doing away with these protections in order to flex minimum space standards, the government is putting thousands of people, including children and older people, at serious risk.”

The Assembly notes that that under the asylum dispersal model, which was announced in March 2023, London’s boroughs will provide much needed housing and support for 6,344 asylum seekers. But this accommodation should not come at the expense of important housing protections.

Instead of removing rights from asylum seekers, the Government should focus on addressing the backlog in asylum claims and working to increase the speed at which claims are assessed so that those granted asylum can properly restart their lives.

Therefore, the Assembly calls on Government:

• to reverse plans to exempt landlords from HMO licencing requirements when housing asylum seekers;
• to urgently set out how it intends to address the backlog in asylum claims so that asylum seekers can have their status regularised more quickly and restart their lives in the UK.

The Assembly calls the Mayor of London to:

• write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, expressing his concern at these plans and requesting that the Government look again at how we can ensure asylum seekers are housed in safe and secure accommodation while their claims are assessed.