Landlords offered bumper rents to evict tenants and house small boat migrants as Labour accused of ‘outrageous racket’ in broken Britain

A Home Office contractor has offered landlords substantially higher rents to house asylum seekers than councils pay for accommodation for homeless families, prompting concern that landlords could withdraw homes from local authority schemes. The reported offers have also drawn criticism from opposition politicians, who say the arrangement risks placing asylum accommodation ahead of vulnerable residents.

The contractor, Clearsprings Ready Homes, is one of three firms providing asylum accommodation under a taxpayer-funded contract worth about £7 billion. One South London landlord was offered £4,500 a month for a three-bedroom flat, compared with £1,790 from Southwark Council, alongside a three-year deal covering bills, council tax and maintenance. He declined because switching contracts could leave families at risk of homelessness; the article says councils may be priced out as they compete for housing.