Ukrainian house guest doesn't want to leave!

[reallyneedmoresleep]

We've had a Ukrainian house guest for the last six months via the Homes for Ukraine scheme. When she came to live with us, we said it would be for a six month period and at the last welfare check we confirmed that she would need to move out by mid-May.
She doesn't want to leave. She has asked several times if she can stay, we have said no. She says our house is much nicer than where she can afford to move to.

I have visited estate agents with her who advise that to rent privately, she either needs a guarantor (we are not prepared to do this) or to pay six month's rent plus the deposit up front. She cannot afford this.

What do we do?

I know the situation in Ukraine is appallling and I am writing from a position of immense priveledge but we have found it really difficult having someone else in our home. She is not an easy person to be around, does not work, has refused all offers to be taken to support groups and frequently just hangs around us when we are in the house when we are trying to work or just to chill. Our son is home from uni in a couple of weeks and we need the room back.

There has been radio silence from the council Homes for Ukraine scheme.
How can I help her to move on?

That’s a separate matter entirely

It's relevant because refugees aren't being treated more badly than local residents. There's a nationwide shortage of housing. Whether she likes it or not there's nothing to be done about it she has to move on.

You've done your bit. Fulfilled your part of the bargain, it's time for her to leave. If she hasn't worked or saved, then that's on her I'm afraid. She can't freeload forever.
I think you'll need to just tell her the date she is required to leave and there is no leniency with this. Be firm. You've been more than fair and helpful but this living situation can't continue indefinitely can it and she's known this all along. Good luck.

1 - I was responding to a poster who suggested getting the Police involved without any suggestion of someone trying to regain entry.

2- The housing shortage IS a separate issue

Police would not be interested, nor could they be involved - trespass is a civil offence, the OP would need a high court writ, the bailiffs would then attend to remove her with police assistance if needed.

There have no doubt been some formalities entered into and getting them out could be as complex as squatters or non paying tenants.

I know of a similar situation. A Ukrainian family were offered accommodation in a very nice and very expensive village. Long story short, they have refused to leave because their ten year old son is a member of the tennis club and wishes to become a professional tennis player so they 'can't' leave the area and there is nowhere else for them to go.

On the contrary the Housing shortage is very much the issue. If there were better availability of social housing, accommodation wouldn't be so hard to find - for everyone. It's a lack of coherent policy during the last 14 years. Homelessness has sky rocketed under the Tories.

Rubbish. She's a lodger with very few rights. Changing the locks when she's out is perfectly legal if she has been asked to leave and won't. It's Ops home.

Not sure what you mean by the radio silence from the council. If you expect them to contact you, with some sort of plan of what happens to Ukrainians who stayed here for 6 months or more, then yes you're absolutely right, that is not forthcoming. What you need to do is to contact the council and inform them that your guest will be homeless on such and such date and it then becomes council's responsibility to house them. I'll send you a DM with more info.

I'm guessing that those signing up to the scheme entered into some agreements in writing though?

Changing the locks when she is out may well be a practical solution, but what if she doesn't go out?

Not been my experience at all and you're showing your own prejudices here.

IANAL but trespass, as far as I understand, involves entering private property uninvited. Even standing on a private driveway for example counts as trespass. A civil matter.
Gaining entry by force however counts as breaking and entering. And that is a criminal offence.

Also OP has confirmed her move-out date. From her POV she has done everything she needs to.

What exactly is going to happen if OP changes her locks and refuses to let the woman back in? Especially as you said just trespassing is not a police matter. Nobody is going to turn up to force OP to open the door.

BTW of course OP should contact everyone necessary council etc but as a last resort.

Also lodgers can be thrown out by a LL changing the locks. No court needed. This IMO is the closest situation. Not squatters or tenants both of which are related to completely unoccupied properties.

Regarding 'formalities' the OP stated that she was hosting for 6 months and confirmed this at the last welfare check (make sure this is in writing OP!). That marks the end of the agreement - especially if she also stops being paid!

OP is not throwing her out with no warning. She has not changed her mind. She is doing exactly what she promised at the start of the agreement - a home for 6 months. That's all.

I know a family who had a similar experience, they arranged for their Ukrainian refugee lodgers to stay at a relatives lovely cottage by the sea for a nice 2 week holiday (whilst the relatives were abroad for a couple of weeks). Except the Ukrainians decided they loved the seaside cottage more and refused to return to their host family. Even when the relatives returned from their own holiday. It all got very complicated.

That is an out and out lie.

Not sure I'd ever want to host a nasty piece of work like you

@Nightowl1234 You are making a lot of sweeping and unfair assumptions there.

I have room for a refugee but I am a single mum with a child in the house, which means I would only take a female refugee, and there are very few Afghan or Syrian refugees.

If a lodger is sharing your home you do not need a court order to evict AFAIK. OP should get a solicitor involved. If the locks are changed the lodger the has no legal right to enter her house. Talk about no good deed goes unpunished.

There have no doubt been some formalities entered into and getting them out could be as complex as squatters or non paying tenants

It's a lodger. Getting them out needs only be as 'complex' as slinging all their stuff out the front door and closing it behind them. Which is what I would do when the given date arrived.

And the housing shortage existed before 2022 and will continue to be a problem even if every Ukrainian guest left tomorrow 🤷‍♀️

I'm not sure what your point is exactly or even the purpose of your replies.
Your original comment was about it not being a police matter - untrue if she tries to get back in by force or cause a general disturbance. Of course if she does nothing to regain entry well why would even people call the police? It doesn't need to be spelt out so literally it's quite obvious really.

You seem to be implying that people are blaming refugees for a housing shortage which isn't the case. People are merely pointing out, as an aside that if housing plentiful there'd be less likelihood of an awkward situation as she'd show up homeless at the council and be placed into social housing.

As it stands that's unlikely to happen. She'll probably be in temporary accomodation etc and be unhappy that the OP has kicked her out but it's really not the former's fault. Of course, she also gets lucky and find another host family, or get a one bed flat straight away. Who knows? Not OP's issue either way.

Something similar happened with one of my neighbours but the family was eventually housed in a council home. Despite the list being huge and council homes being slim pickings. It's wrong, I understand that these people are coming from a war torn country but social housing should only be for British people.

Thank you for your info. I had considered volunteering my flat in London zone 3 but I am delighted I was “selfish” and changed my mind. I know “possession is 9/10ths of the law” is untrue, but try telling a recalcitrant “guest” that!?

Goid luck 💐

I think the relatively large cultural and media cultural clout of the UK fooled a lot of people in Ukraine into imagining they were going to get spacious, comfortable housing, high salaries and all sorts of nice freebies, whereas in fact much of the UK is really struggling with high housing costs and creaking public services. I would imagine that a lot of Ukrainians had a real shock when they arrived here and realized this.

Have you tried turning up to the actual physical office of HfU and just banging on the desk and demanding some sort of action/response?

From what I have heard, most families who have engaged in this scheme have had good experience. You'll always get a few chancers and arseholes in any group of people.

It is certainly true it was never a reasonable scheme, but my goodness the pressure that people put on to make it happen. If the government had said they wouldn't allow it they'd have been horribly criticized as bigots by the be kind section of society. Who does not seem to be able to understand that lots of people, even ones in real trouble, can be grifters or lazy arses.

Of course you do, you have kept your side of the arrangement and, frankly, been very patient. It is hard for her if she has nowhere to go but whoever arranged the temporary lodgings should take over now and find her somewhere else. You are not alone with this particular problem but others in her position have found work, made friends and moved on. So can she. I just hope something can be sorted out very soon as it is urgent.