Landlord offered £4,500 for asylum accommodation

I was interested in renting my old 5 bedroom family home near Wrexham to Clearspring.
It was a nightmare.
After completing the exhaustive initial upgrades list, 3 further inspections took place. Each one added more upgrades/ improvements to the initial list (even though the local authority had also inspected the property and passed it fit for human habitation after the initial list of works was completed.
In all the process took 6 months cost me £10,000 in upgrades and Clearspring where still not happy…..in the end I pulled out of the scheme. I estimate that the experience cost me in approximately £25,000 in un necessary works and loss of rent.

Who are Clearsprings, sounds wonderful but who is funding them and what happens when they go bust or at the end of 3 years and leave you stuck with Asylum seekers.

Reply to the comment left by David at 23/10/2026 – 10:28
Clearsprings are privately owned by Graham King an Essex businessman.
According to the Daily Mail he has become almost a billionaire by supplying properties on government contracts

Went to a Serco presentation once around 3 years ago to find out more. I was aware that they said ‘upgrades’ may be required but curious to find out what exactly. Yes for some unfathomable reason they demanded a higher criteria to be met than a standard HMO (which itself formalises a compliant standard which is nationally recognised and council approved). What struck me though was the requirement after 5 years that a new bathroom and kitchen were necessary and after 3 a full redec.

So – is it the gvt setting these higher standards and if so why as this means boaties ARE being treated better than those who live in ‘standard’ HMO’s, or is it really Serco and the like that at demanding this from LL’s in a bid to show they are going above and beyond to provide the best accommodation and as a result charge more to the gvt for the accommodation knowing full well the gvt have no other option than to pay it?

Either way, the system stinks and as I would essentially be bottom of this chain, there is no way I am prepared to be the one dumped on.

The contract with Serco was also very clear if they were ever pulled off the contract/contract terminated then another provider would apparently step in but I would not necessarily be told.

For me the fear would be a house left of legal unknowns, no right to rent and no way of removing them.

Did I walk away? No – I RAN!

Reply to the comment left by John at 11:11
My next move then.More money running a business like this than being a dumped on landlord.

Reply to the comment left by David at 23/10/2026 – 10:28
They were and remain the gvt’s chosen provider along with Serco and Mears. Neatly split into geographical areas. These three have the monopoly on the boatie accommodation provision and are now even happier since Liebour said they were closing hotels….

While they still have no leave to remain the boaties still need housing, so if not in hotels where? I suspect they are bring pushed into any HMO’s that can be found, ESPECIALLY ones claiming to be supported accommodation providers too – once ILR status comes in the landlord then claims higher HB for each one because they all have experienced trauma as part of the reason why they fled (via France!).

This is why there is now a huge backlash by communities and councils over HMO’s in general, because many are now being filled with boaties in particular as it is easier to make claims for SEA status on top. An SEA room alone can be £2k a month and bigger houses can now bring in EVEN MORE than when they were leased directly to Serco for example.

Serco are laughing, the LL’s that rent via SEA are laughing and the gvt are completely culpable.

“Any amount above that is covered by the contractor and not taxpayers.”

And he kept a straight face saying that? I imagine that Clearsprings are very much a for profit company and any money they pay out will be financed by the taxpayer.

Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 23/10/2026 – 11:43
Very informative, thank you .A nice little earner for those in the know, but I would be concerned this could go pear shaped and being stuck with asylum seekers , if for example Reform gained control.

I commend the landlord mentioned in this article for being a decent person and not going after the big bucks. In this age of constant negativity against LLs, it’s a good story.

Reply to the comment left by David at 23/10/2026 – 10:28
The government! Serco do other parts of the country. Now they can’t use hotels they’re hiding them somewhere else at a very high cost bearing in mind Clearspings and Serco will be making lots of management fees. I’m glad they spend our taxes so well…. Ps Clearspings will negotiate with you, very high rent in some cases.