Asylum Dispersal Accommodation, HMO Licensing and Associated Funding
Case reference FOI2026/01362
Received 16 August 2026
Published 9 September 2026
Request
Unless stated otherwise, please provide figures for each financial year from 2022/23 to 2025/26 inclusive, plus the current position at the date you answer. 1. Dispersal accommodation in the borough (a) Does the council hold information on the number of properties in the borough used as asylum dispersal or contingency accommodation? If so, how many, for each year requested? (b) How many individuals are accommodated in such properties in the borough at the most recent date for which you hold a figure? (c) Please confirm which Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) provider or providers operate in the borough — for example Clearsprings Ready Homes, Serco or Mears — and whether the council holds any list of the properties concerned. 2. HMO licensing The Houses in Multiple Occupation (Asylum-Seeker Accommodation) (England) Regulations 2023 ceased to have effect on 1 July 2026, so properties previously exempt now require licensing. (a) How many HMO licence applications has the council received since 1 July 2026 in respect of properties used as asylum accommodation, and how many have been granted, refused, or remain outstanding? (b) How many properties in the borough are currently used as asylum accommodation without a licence, whether because an application is pending or because none has been made? (c) What steps has the council taken to identify properties that lost their exemption on 1 July 2026? (d) Please provide the council's total number of licensed HMOs in the borough, for each year requested, so the asylum figure can be read in proportion. 3. Inspection and enforcement (a) How many inspections has the council carried out of properties used as asylum accommodation, in each year requested? (b) How many such properties have failed an inspection or been found in breach of licensing or housing health and safety standards, and what was the nature of the breaches? (c) What enforcement action has the council taken in respect of those properties — improvement notices, prohibition orders, civil penalties, prosecutions — and with what outcome? (d) How many complaints has the council received from residents concerning such properties, and how many were upheld? 4. Money received (a) What sums has the council received from the Home Office, or from any other government department, in respect of asylum dispersal accommodation in each year requested? (b) Please break that down by the basis of payment — for example the per-existing-bed rate, the per-new-dispersal-bed rate, and any expedited-delivery or incentive payment. (c) How has that funding been applied? Please identify the service areas or budget lines to which it was allocated. 5. Agreements and governance (a) Does the council hold any written agreement, memorandum of understanding, protocol or service level agreement with the Home Office, or with any AASC provider, concerning asylum accommodation in the borough? If so, please provide copies. (b) Has the council formally considered asylum dispersal at any meeting of Cabinet, Full Council or any committee since April 2022? If so, please identify the meetings and provide the relevant reports and minutes. (c) Is the council a member of, or represented at, any regional or county-level asylum or migration partnership board? If so, please provide the minutes of its meetings for the period requested.
Response
Unless stated otherwise, please provide figures for each financial year from 2022/23 to 2025/26 inclusive, plus the current position at the date you answer.
1. Dispersal accommodation in the borough
(a) Does the council hold information on the number of properties in the borough used as asylum dispersal or contingency accommodation? If so, how many, for each year requested?
No information held for all the years requested. Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we can confirm that the Council does not hold recorded information within the scope of your request.
(b) How many individuals are accommodated in such properties in the borough at the most recent date for which you hold a figure?
Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we can confirm that the Council does not hold recorded information within the scope of your request.
(c) Please confirm which Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) provider or providers operate in the borough — for example Clearsprings Ready Homes, Serco or Mears — and whether the council holds any list of the properties concerned.
Clearsprings Ready Homes
2. HMO licensing
The Houses in Multiple Occupation (Asylum-Seeker Accommodation) (England) Regulations 2023 ceased to have effect on 1 July 2026, so properties previously exempt now require licensing.
(a) How many HMO licence applications has the council received since 1 July 2026 in respect of properties used as asylum accommodation, and how many have been granted, refused, or remain outstanding?
No applications have been received
(b) How many properties in the borough are currently used as asylum accommodation without a licence, whether because an application is pending or because none has been made?
Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we can confirm that the Council does not hold recorded information within the scope of your request.
(c) What steps has the council taken to identify properties that lost their exemption on 1 July 2026?
N/A- the Houses in Multiple Occupation (Asylum-Seeker Accommodation)
(England) Regulations 2023 was draft legislation that never came into effect as a
UK Statutory Instrument
(d) Please provide the council's total number of licensed HMOs in the borough, for each year requested, so the asylum figure can be read in proportion.
We don’t hold information on the total number of Licensed HMO’s each year as the properties on our HMO register change regularly. Currently we have 54 licensed HMO’s. We have seen a drop from a maximum of 75 licensed HMO properties over the last five years.
3. Inspection and enforcement
(a) How many inspections has the council carried out of properties used as asylum accommodation, in each year requested? 0 for all years
(b) How many such properties have failed an inspection or been found in breach of licensing or housing health and safety standards, and what was the nature of the breaches? 0 for all years
(c) What enforcement action has the council taken in respect of those properties — improvement notices, prohibition orders, civil penalties, prosecutions — and with what outcome? None for all years
(d) How many complaints has the council received from residents concerning such properties, and how many were upheld? No complaints received
4. Money received
(a) What sums has the council received from the Home Office, or from any other government department, in respect of asylum dispersal accommodation in each year requested?
Nil for all years
(b) Please break that down by the basis of payment — for example the per-existing-bed rate, the per-new-dispersal-bed rate, and any expedited-delivery or incentive payment.
N/A
(c) How has that funding been applied? Please identify the service areas or budget lines to which it was allocated.
N/A
5. Agreements and governance
(a) Does the council hold any written agreement, memorandum of understanding, protocol or service level agreement with the Home Office, or with any AASC provider, concerning asylum accommodation in the borough? If so, please provide copies.
No agreements held
(b) Has the council formally considered asylum dispersal at any meeting of Cabinet, Full Council or any committee since April 2022? If so, please identify the meetings and provide the relevant reports and minutes.
Under section 1(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we can confirm that the Council does not hold recorded information within the scope of your request.
(c) Is the council a member of, or represented at, any regional or county-level asylum or migration partnership board? If so, please provide the minutes of its meetings for the period requested.
No
Documents
This is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.