Landlord Insurance for Asylum Seekers & Refugees

Ashburnham provide insurance for landlords housing asylum seekers and refugees. Flexible, comprehensive, and cheap landlord insurance for asylum seekers can be hard to come by, but with Ashburnham you can choose the level of cover you require using our online policy form. Just make sure that under Occupancy Details, you select “Asylum Seeker”.

What does Landlord Insurance for Asylum Seekers cover?

Many private landlords would like to help with the refugee crisis, providing housing for asylum seekers and refugees, and assisting the government in reaching the target of 20,000 Syrian refugees resettled by 2020. One of the biggest obstacles for private landlords, however, is obtaining the correct landlord insurance to cover asylum seeker tenants.

Many insurers do not include cover for asylum seekers but, with Ashburnham, we can provide affordable quotations that fit your requirements.

Call us for free and speak to one of our specialist experts who can discuss your asylum seeker insurance requirements with you!

Buildings

Covers the financial cost of repairing a property’s structural damage. We cover both accidental and malicious damage as standard, in addition to environmental damage (e.g. flooding, storms, etc).

More about landlord buildings insurance

Contents

Recommended for furnished housing association homes, this will protect the landlord from the costs of repairing and replacing furnishing that have been stolen or accidentally damaged.

More about landlord contents insurance

Malicious Damage by Tenants

Covers the intentional damage caused by the tenant or any other malicious persons to the landlord’s property.

More about malicious damage by tenants cover

Rent Guarantee

Covers loss of rent by guaranteeing monthly rent payments for a maximum of 6 months in the event that a tenant is in arrears and temporarily unable to pay due to their financial circumstance.

More about loss of rent insurance

Public Liability

Indemnifies the property owner against liability if a tenant, guest or member of the public is injured on the premises, including cover from the financial costs of any claims made due to negligence.

More about landlord public liability insurance

Legal Expenses

Indemnifies the expenses in pursuit or defense of any disputes connected to a landlord’s property that require legal protection.

More about legal expenses insurance

What Landlords Should Consider When Letting to Asylum Seekers & Refugees

The United Kingdom faces a lack of accommodation available for asylum seekers and refugees alike.

What’s the difference between an asylum seeker and a refugee?

Asylum seekers arrive in the United Kingdom and submit an asylum application, granting them a legal right to remain in the country while awaiting a decision. In 2015, less than half of those who submitted an application were granted asylum in the UK. The Home Office is responsible for accommodating and supporting asylum seekers while their application is being processed. This is known as the National Asylum Support Service.

A refugee is someone who has had their asylum application accepted by the government, granting them long-term or indefinite stay in the UK after having proven that they would be at risk if they were to return to their home country. Refugees are entitled under both UK and international law to bring their families to join them in the UK.

If the asylum seeker has been denied protection by the authorities, due to an inability to prove that they would face persecution if they were to return to their home country, they are considered to be a “refused asylum seeker”. They will have to leave the United Kingdom, unless they face legitimate reasons to postpone their return or are appealing the decision.

These are not illegal immigrants; these families and individuals have entered and are staying in the country legally. Obtaining refugee status can often be a lengthy and complex process.

Those fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria, or evading persecution for other reasons, can be great tenants who are just looking to rebuild their lives and contribute to our country in return for the opportunity given to them. Asylum seekers come from a range of backgrounds, including high skill professions, and are eager to get back into work so that they can provide for themselves and their family.

However, once an asylum seeker has been given refugee status, Asylum Support (cash allowance and asylum seeker housing) will be stopped 28 days after the decision. This means that some new refugees may find themselves destitute during the period in which they are awaiting their national insurance number that allows them to work in the UK or apply for benefits such as Local Housing Allowance. During this time, their financial situation becomes even more unstable, making them high-risk to insurers. Additionally, many insurers do not cover tenants on housing benefits.

Letting a property or a spare room?

If you have a second home, and are looking into renting this property out to asylum seekers and refugees, then this will make you a landlord. This means that standard home insurance will no longer cover the building, and you will need to purchase a specialist landlord insurance for asylum seekers. Remember: they won’t be guests in your home; they will be tenants. Your standard insurance will be inadequate should you need to make a claim.

Renting out a spare room in your own home, on the other hand, may require a specialist home insurance, as opposed to landlord insurance – as they will be treated as a lodger rather than as a tenant.

Often, philanthropic landlords will choose not to yield a profit from letting to refugees and asylum seekers – using the rent money to cover the running costs of the property, but not to profit from them. It is therefore vital that you place a great deal of consideration into the finances of your decisions, and protecting your property and assets factors into this. Your property is most likely to be let furnished, so landlords content insurance is also highly recommended. This will cover your furniture and appliances against theft or damage, but will not cover the contents of your tenants.

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