A HOME FROM HOME - A guide to renting properties for Ukrainians in and around Bradford on Avon
INTRODUCTION
This is a guide for Ukrainians living in the Bradford on Avon area who are thinking of renting their own home. Some Ukrainian people have already moved into rented accommodation. This shows that properties are available and property owners (often called ‘landlords’) are willing to rent homes to Ukrainians. The number of homes to rent in the whole of the UK has fallen in the last two years and properties are often rented very quickly. Bradford on Avon has some homes for rent but there are often more in towns such as Trowbridge or Melksham, where there are also cheaper rents. For example, in mid-January 2023, a search for properties with a maximum rent of £1,000 per month and of two bedrooms in Bradford on Avon had two results. But a search within five miles of the town increased this to 30.
WHERE CAN WE FIND HOMES FOR RENT?
You can look online at these websites. Each allows you to search for properties with a maximum rental or a minimum number of bedrooms.
https://www.openrent.co.uk/ (a site that connects owners and renters directly)
https://www.spareroom.co.uk/ (rooms in shared houses for single people or couples)
You can look at the websites of local estate agents and visit them:
Kingstons http://www.kingstons.biz/ The Old Printing Office, 28 Silver Street, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1JY 01225 867591
Geoffrey Saxty https://www.geoffreymsaxty.co.uk/ Georgian House, 14 St Margaret’s Street, Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1DA 01225 864 880
Davies and Davies https://www.daviesanddavies.co.uk/ 29 Silver Street
Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire BA15 1JY Tel: 01225 867555
The agents emphasise that it is important to check their websites each day for anything new to market. You can also sign up for regular email updates and notifications from them.
You can also look on local noticeboards:
- On St Margaret’s Street next to Westbury Gardens
- In the alley way off Silver Street next to Christine’s Sustainable Supermarket
- On Church Street next to the Dutch Barton dentists
- At the Ex-Libris bookshop in The Shambles
HOW MUCH MONEY WILL WE NEED?
Property owners choose whether to accept a tenant and they are not all the same. For example, some are more willing to accept tenants who have income from benefits as well as from their work.
You will usually need to have total income that is 2.5 times the monthly rent. The lowest rents in the West Wiltshire area for one or two-bedroom homes are typically around £600 per month. So to rent such a home you need monthly income of around £1,500 – or £18,000 per year. To rent a more typical home in Bradford on Avon where the rent is £1000 per month, you need to have income of £2,500 per month or £30,000 per year. To rent a home for £800, you need income of £2,000 or £24,000 per year.
In advance, you will usually need to pay a deposit of one month’s rent, as well as the first month’s rent.
If you have a job that provides you with an income 2.5 times the rent and your employer can provide a reference then there is a good chance that you will be able to find a home that you can afford.
If you are on benefits alone it will be harder to reach the right level, but not impossible if you are eligible for several benefits.
If you have a mixture of benefits and income from work then this may be sufficient.
A landlord may be more prepared to accept a tenant if they have a ‘guarantor’. A guarantor is someone who will agree to pay your rent if you can’t, for example if you lose your job. The guarantor’s income will usually need to be 3 times the monthly rent and be ongoing for the whole of the tenancy. This will be part of the tenancy agreement. Anyone considering acting as a guarantor can contact boaukrainegroup@gmail.com
Can two families rent together? Several estate agents think that landlords are unlikely to accept this, but there are no strict rules. If two families rented together and had a guarantor then that might make them more likely to be successful.
One sponsor said: “It’s really important that people wanting to move into rented accommodation save as much money as they can, so they are in a position to pay rent and bills.”
Another host explained their own involvement: ““We looked for a rental property for several weeks. There’s very little availability. It’s also not cheap. We had to provide a guarantor, the deposit (one month’s rent) and the first month’s rent before the agent would send the tenancy agreement. A lot of the paperwork is done online. For someone with limited English, this is challenging and it’s been a big chunk of admin, time and pooling resources.”
HOW CAN WE WORK OUT WHAT OUR EXPENSES WILL BE?
If you are thinking of renting a home, you may want to work out how much you will need for all spending, including rent. Here is a table showing the range of possible spending by tenants. It’s based on data from the UK Government’s Office for National Statistics and personal accounts from local Ukrainians.
Housing costs per month in £
The higher levels here are UK national averages. The lower levels are based on what can be found locally.
Rent 600-900
Food 200-320
Water supply 20-35
Gas and electricity 70-110
Household (eg furniture, appliances) 50-175
Transport 100-430
Clothing and shoes 40-110
Council tax 110-140
Internet and phone 20-40
Holidays, travel, leisure 50-400
Total 1260-2520
The average spending for a Ukrainian family may be at the lower end of this range. They may be working close to home and not using a lot of transport. They may also not be paying so much for holidays, recreation, restaurants and hotels, although some will be saving for trips home or to see relatives or friends elsewhere. Spending on furniture will also be less if local people are providing items for free. Energy prices have been very high recently and are difficult to predict.
Here are two online calculators that people can use to work out their likely spending:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/budgeting/budgeting/work-out-your-budget/
https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/budgeting/budget-planner
HOW CAN WE HAVE ENOUGH INCOME TO AFFORD RENT AND OTHER EXPENSES?
Income will usually come from work, from benefits, or from a mixture of the two.
WORK: Landlords will typically prefer tenants who have regular work and references from employers. Many types of work are available in the Bradford on Avon area, although many jobs only pay wages close to the minimum adult wage of £9.50 per hour – which will rise to £10.42 on 1 April. Support in finding jobs is available from the Job Centre in Trowbridge https://www.jobcentreguide.co.uk/trowbridge-jobcentre and from the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900.
BENEFITS: The main benefits that you may be able to get are:
From the UK Government – Universal Credit and the Housing Payment (which is an element of Universal Credit). Both of these are likely to be available. Child Benefit is paid to parents.
From Wiltshire Council – a discretionary housing payment or payment of a deposit and one month’s rent through the ‘WiltsLet’ programme. These are both for the Council to decide and are only available in some cases.
Universal Credit: Universal Credit typically provides around £265 for a person under 25, £335 for a person over 25, £510-625 per month for one adult and one child or £825-870 per month for one adult and two children.
Universal Credit Housing Payment: Universal Credit also provides an additional housing payment that may be available to tenants, based on a Local Housing Allowance. However, you cannot apply until you are living in the property. The Local Housing Allowance rate for the Bath Broad Rental Market Area (BRMA), which includes Bradford on Avon, currently stands at:
1 Bedroom: £105.82 per week – around £460 per month
2 Bedroom: £166.85 per week - around £720 per month
3 Bedroom: £195.82 per week – around £850 per month
Two children of the same gender under 16 are expected to share a room. The number of rooms for which a housing payment is made is worked out using a special calculator. https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/BedRoomCalculator.aspx
The housing payment (sometimes called ‘housing benefit’ or the ‘housing element’) is paid by the UK Government Department for Work and Pensions. You can apply online through your Universal Credit account. If you have a Work Coach based at the Job Centre, they may be able to tell you if you are eligible.
Child Benefit: Child Benefit is also paid by the Department for Work and Pensions at a rate of £87.20 every four weeks for the first child and £57.80 for additional children.
Wiltshire Council ‘WiltsLet’ programme: Wiltshire Council also has a ‘WiltsLet’ programme to help tenants by covering the deposit and paying the first month’s rent. https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/1993/WiltsLet-support-for-private-landlords-and-renters However, this money is only paid if a client does not have the funds available to pay the deposit or rent in advance, including from savings, BUT can show they can afford the rent after the first month. Wiltshire Council has stated that seven Ukrainian families have secured funding through the scheme as they had no savings, but this was when they were threatened with homelessness. The programme is managed by the Housing Solutions Service at the Council on 0300 456 0106 (open from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, closed Wednesday, 9am to 2pm.) You can also email Housing Solutions at homeless@wiltshire.gov.uk.
Wiltshire Council discretionary housing payments: Wiltshire Council also makes some discretionary housing payments to people with “special circumstances” one they are in rented housing. There is a limited budget for these payments. Details here – https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/benefits-housing-benefit - look under “I need extra help with my rent”.
Possible Extra Benefits: If the applicant has a Work Coach they can advise on each individual’s situation. Also the following websites may be helpful.
https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators
WHAT TYPES OF PROPERTY ARE AVAILABLE?
There are three different types of property available to rent: fully furnished, part-furnished or unfurnished.
A fully furnished property: Generally includes cooker, fridge / freezer and washing machine (known as ‘white goods’) plus basic furniture such as beds, wardrobes, sofa, chairs, dining table etc.
A part-furnished property: Generally includes the white goods. It may include some furniture with the option for it to be removed if it’s not required.
An unfurnished property: Generally an empty space for you to furnish entirely yourself.
These descriptions can be confusing so it’s important to be very clear with the landlord or agent about what you’ll actually be getting with your lease.
The cost of filling a home with furniture can be expensive, so furnished or part-furnished homes may be the best options if they are available. However, many homes are unfurnished and so you will need to buy or find furniture.
Renting a room: Individual rooms are sometimes available to rent, typically for a single person. See https://www.spareroom.co.uk/flatshare/wiltshire/bradford-on-avon
These and other rooms may be available under the government’s ‘Rent-a-Room’ scheme. https://www.gov.uk/rent-room-in-your-home/the-rent-a-room-scheme this allows people to rent out a room in their home for up to £7,500 per year (£625 per month) tax-free.
HOW CAN WE FIND FURNITURE FOR AN UNFURNISHED HOME?
There are many sources for furniture and local residents are keen to help. Many Ukrainians have been given furniture by local people. Tenants should be able to find most household items for free using a combination of online sources and contacts. Ask local contacts first and email boaukrainegroup@gmail.com we can also suggest options for transporting goods.
Online and social media sites include:
Facebook Marketplace https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/
Gumtree https://www.gumtree.com/home-garden/bradford-on-avon
Preloved https://www.preloved.co.uk/
Shops: Some the charity shops sell second-hand (‘preloved’) furnishings such as:
Dorothy House in Wicker Hill, Trowbridge or London Road, Bath
British Heart Foundation in Fore Street, Trowbridge
Stores such as the large supermarkets and B&M, Matalan & TK Maxx in Trowbridge all sell a good range household items.
A charity called Group 5 provides furniture for people in particular need in the West Wiltshire area. A referral will be required from a professional such as a social worker or from a charity. http://www.groupfive.org.uk/
An aerial photograph of Bradford on Avon