Asylum: Housing

The Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute. The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly, and ensures the rules are properly enforced. The Home Office utilises a range of accommodation types under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contract (AASC), including Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) where appropriate, alongside other forms of suitable accommodation.

The Home Office does not publish figures for the number of properties used under AASC that meet the definition of an HMO under the Housing Act 2004.

The Home Office does not publish detailed information on the location of asylum accommodation sites for safety and security reasons. Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most recent statistics release. The data can broken down by local authority rather than by constituency.

Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab)

The Home Office uses a range of accommodation types, including HMOs where appropriate, to meet its legal obligations. The Home Office does not publish data on the average number of individuals accommodated per property type, including HMOs. Occupancy levels are managed operationally by accommodation providers in line with contractual requirements and relevant housing standards.

All accommodation providers operating under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contract are contractually required to ensure that properties comply with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements, including licensing requirements under the Housing Act 2004 where applicable.

Accommodation Providers are required to ensure that any property which meets the threshold for licensing holds a valid licence in accordance with local authority requirements and the Home Office works closely with providers and local authorities to ensure that standards are met and any issues are addressed.

The Home Office does not hold a centrally published record of the number of properties used since 1 July 2024 that did not hold a valid HMO licence at the time of occupation. Compliance with licensing requirements is an ongoing contractual obligation for providers, and the Home Office works closely with providers and local authorities to ensure that standards are met and any issues are addressed.

Providers must ensure that properties which require a licence hold a valid licence in line with local authority requirements. The Home Office works with providers and local authorities to monitor compliance and address any issues where they arise.