Social Rented Housing: EU Nationals – Parliamentary Written Answer

Deidre Brock:  To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how he intends to prohibit (a) social housing providers and (b) housing associations from accepting as residents citizens from other EU countries who do not meet the criteria of a four-year residency before accessing social housing.

Brandon Lewis: The Government will introduce a new residency requirement, so that EU migrants cannot be considered for social housing unless they have been living here for at least four years; and made clear that this would be taken forward as part of wider EU treaty negotiation on welfare changes.

Coalition Rolls Out Immigration Rental Check Scheme

The coalition government has begun an immigration rental check pilot scheme across five local authority areas in the Midlands. From 1 December, private landlords in the regions of Sandwell, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Dudley will be required to check that their prospective tenants have a right to live in the UK before letting to them. Though the new rules will only apply to tenancies begun after 1 December, landlords that rent to anyone not legally entitled to reside in the country after that date will face a fine of £3,000. The new rules also apply to those who take in lodgers to "share their accommodation with a licence to occupy the property". Read more on the RLA website.