Renting to an Ukrainian citizens - what to check for?

Landlord Discussion Legal
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Hello everybody I’m new here and after some advice. I will be letting my house for the first time and there’s a few grey areas. We have already found potential tenants and they’re Ukrainian couple. They have been recommended to us by somebody who we trust however they’ve only knew them for roughly a year. My question is apart from a Right to rent what else to I need to have in mind. Will they have other rights than a standard tenant ? With it being my first time letting out my flat I just don’t want to put myself in a position where, in case things do go south and for example they’ll stop paying, I won’t be able to evict them due to some sort of refugee status, if that’s how they’re classed in light of law…

Another question is is it worth going for external referencing as they have only been in the country for about 10-12 months or will they fail referencing due to that reason ? They both work, have a car etc.

Thanks in advance

Artur

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I’d still do the referencing because they’ll at least have bank accounts and likely phone contracts on there.

It’s really minimal costs to do the referencing so for £40 I’d be doing it.

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Ukrainians on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme were originally given 3 year visas. These are probably going to be able to be extended for a further 18ths towards the end of that first period. They should be able to give you share codes to prove their right to rent. They are also ‘disregarded’ for C Tax & should only pay 50% but many Councils have missed this (and only if they came on theH4U scheme). Nothing else to know really except they are entitled to all usual benefits. Well done for helping out!

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Do you know whether they are refugees? They may not be. I assume you are not housing them under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, so they will have a regular AST and you evict in the usual way if you need to.

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  • Identification: Ensure they have valid ID or passport.
  • Visa Status: Verify their visa or residency status if applicable.
  • Rental History: Check references or past rental history if available.
  • Financial Stability: Assess their ability to pay rent through proof of income or financial statements.
  • Legal Requirements: Be aware of any specific legal requirements or regulations for renting to foreign nationals in your area.
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You should take external references.

They shouldn’t fail referencing if they both have a credit rating and sufficient income. Advise them to check on Experian first because if they have only recently arrived they may not have a credit rating, and that’s a problem.

Even though they come recommended, it’s best to only take them if they have satisfactory references, and if I were you I’d buy some rent protection insurance too.

The other thing to do straight away is verify their right to rent - it’s easy to check if they give you a “share code” which they can get from the Government.

If it all goes pear shaped it can be a nightmare, so best to be prudent.

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