A significant number of EU citizens living in the private rented sector (PRS) say they are worried that the result of the referendum will make it harder for them to rent property in the UK.
According to fresh research conducted by the National Landlords Association (NLA), 31% of EU citizens living in the PRS are concerned that they will find it difficult to secure rental accommodation in this country in the future, with a quarter worried that landlords would be less willing to let to non-UK nationals following the UK’s decision to leave the EU.
The poll of almost 1,000 renters found that 18% of private renters – the equivalent of around 2m people – are EU citizens who currently have the right to freedom of movement within the EU.
But there are now concerns about whether or not EU citizens will be able to remain in the UK if the right to freedom of movement is removed or restricted during the process.
Richard Lambert, chief executive officer at the NLA, said: “These findings show that a significant proportion of tenants from the EU are genuinely concerned they’ll have to uproot themselves from their work, studies, or friends and family on the strength of the referendum result.
“There is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the referendum, but we want to reassure European citizens living in the UK it’s simply not the case that landlords will stop letting to them just because the country has decided to leave the EU.
“However, if the right to freedom of movement within the EU is curtailed during the exit negotiations, then landlords may have no other option than to end tenancies rather than facing fines and even jail time if they let property to someone without the legal right to remain in the UK.”
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Quote from article: "However, if the right to freedom of movement within the EU is curtailed during the exit negotiations, then landlords may have no other option than to end tenancies rather than facing fines and even jail time if they let property to someone without the legal right to remain in the UK". This is just scare-mongering. No-one is remotely suggesting that EU nationals already in the UK will have to leave before the UK is out of the EU - or even afterwards. It's just that after this time there may then be less freedom of movement into the UK. Why on earth should a landlord end an existing tenancy??
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