They say strict checks on would-be tenants who require proof of earnings and other paperwork may prove impossible for many refugees to pass. Opora, a network that helps Ukrainians who have relocated to the UK, said they had already contacted families who had been frozen by the private rental market after failing to report checks. Some have been asked for evidence of employment or tax history dating back years, even though they have only moved here since Putin’s invasion. Even those with stable jobs in the UK and ample savings who have never had debt have been stoned. Dmytro Chapovski, a software engineer from Lviv in western Ukraine, and his wife, Polina, a psychotherapist, came to Britain in April as part of the Homes for Ukraine program and lived with a couple in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. Chapovski, 33, and his host, Janet Duchesne, contacted 12 agencies across the southeast, but were “told vacancies leaving agents with no chance of leaving the country,” Duchesne said. Eventually, an agency in Leighton Buzzard agreed to give the couple a three-bedroom home, but even though they were eligible for a salary, a third reporting company turned them down. Although he had seven years of bank accounts that showed he had never been in debt, he says he was told he had to provide proof of profits and tax history in the UK – or rent 12 months in advance. Jan Dchaesne and Stephen Knowlden currently house Dmytro and Polina. Photo: Fabio De Paola / The Observer In another case, a Ukrainian family contacted all the agents they could find in south-east London and Kent. Some of the agencies refused to proceed because the family had universal credit, saying the owners’ insurance would not allow the tenants for benefits, while others asked for a guarantor earning more than 40 40,000, which they did not have. While only a small number of refugees have been affected so far, thousands could be hit by the obstacles in the coming months as Homes for Ukraine placements expire. The sponsors had to host refugees for at least six months. While placements can continue, many will be finished. Stanislav Beneš, of the Opora network, urged the government to act now to avoid problems, asking for guidance and incentives for landlords and an exclusive system of guarantors to facilitate rental for Ukrainians. Without action, people fleeing the war are facing homelessness, he said. “It will overburden existing resources that are already over-expanding, which means more and more people will start to fall out of the cracks.” Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, said it was “completely unacceptable” that Ukrainian refugees were finding it difficult to rent privately and called on the government to “explore extending access to private rental programs” that would help with deposits or trading with owners. “We need to see more understanding and compassion for the fact that many Ukrainians will not be able to collect extortionate deposits or be able to provide liquidation from the UK if their job is in their country of origin,” he said. Sophie Delamothe, Policy and Public Affairs Officer at Generation Rent, a campaign group, said: “There is so much information you need to provide that people who have just recently arrived in this country as refugees may simply not have access to them. “ The National Residential Landlords Association said some landlords who wanted to support Ukrainian refugees “encountered obstacles” beyond their control, including “when they sought permission from mortgage lenders and insurers”. This comes as official figures reveal that hundreds of Ukrainian families have been left homeless in England after arriving on visas designed to provide them with a place to live. As of the end of February, at least 480 Ukrainian families with children and 180 unmarried adults had applied to councils for help with the homeless, the Guardian reported last week. The cost of renting has increased in recent months. Rents paid by tenants in the UK rose 2.7% in the 12 months to April, according to the National Statistics Office – but in some parts of London and other major cities the annual increase is as sharp as 22%. A spokesman for the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Communities said: “More than 77,200 Ukrainians have arrived in the UK since Putin’s invasion and the vast majority live with sponsors or relatives. “We are closely monitoring this situation and will work with the entire government and the owners to ensure that the Ukrainians receive the assistance they need.”
