Temporary Accommodation Supply, Procurement and Property Requirements
Case reference FOI2026/01886
Received 3 September 2026
Published 15 September 2026
Request
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information:
I am seeking recorded information about your authority’s current use and procurement of temporary accommodation (TA), including accommodation obtained from private landlords, agents, companies, managing agents, registered providers and other external suppliers.
Please provide, where held:
1. A copy of the authority’s current policy, specification, property standard, landlord/provider guide or other recorded criteria used when assessing privately supplied temporary accommodation.
2. The property types currently accepted or sought for TA, including bedroom sizes, self-contained units, flats, houses, HMOs, blocks, B&B/hotel accommodation and any specialist or accessible accommodation.
3. Any current recorded geographical restrictions, including whether properties outside the authority’s area are accepted and, if so, which areas are currently considered.
4. The current standard contractual or commercial arrangements offered to private landlords/providers, including typical lease/licence length, break clauses, rent/payment basis, void arrangements, repair responsibilities, council tax/utilities responsibilities and any guaranteed-rent provisions.
5. The minimum property compliance requirements currently applied, including EPC, gas safety, electrical safety/EICR, fire safety, HMO/selective/additional licensing, insurance and any inspection/HHSRS requirements.
6. The number of households placed in TA at the latest available reporting date, broken down where held by household/property size.
7. For financial year 2025/26, the total gross expenditure on TA and, where held, the amount paid to external private-sector accommodation providers.
8. For 2025/26, the number of TA units sourced from private landlords/companies/providers, and the number of units located outside the authority’s area.
9. A list of current frameworks, dynamic purchasing systems, approved supplier lists, leasing schemes or other procurement routes through which private landlords, property companies or agents can offer accommodation to the authority, including the relevant procurement/contact route.
10. Any current recorded statement of priority property demand or shortage, for example demand for 1-, 2-, 3-, 4+ bedroom homes, HMOs, accessible homes or particular locations.
11. The name or job title and generic contact details of the team responsible for acquiring or commissioning temporary accommodation from private landlords or external providers.
12. Where any requested information is already publicly available, please provide the direct link or document reference rather than reproducing it:
Response
Thank you for your recent request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Please find the answers to your queries below:
I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information:
I am seeking recorded information about your authority’s current use and procurement of temporary accommodation (TA), including accommodation obtained from private landlords, agents, companies, managing agents, registered providers and other external suppliers.
Please provide, where held:
1. A copy of the authority’s current policy, specification, property standard, landlord/provider guide or other recorded criteria used when assessing privately supplied temporary accommodation.
N/A – procured as and when required.
2. The property types currently accepted or sought for TA, including bedroom sizes, self-contained units, flats, houses, HMOs, blocks, B&B/hotel accommodation and any specialist or accessible accommodation.
N/A – procured as and when required.
3. Any current recorded geographical restrictions, including whether properties outside the authority’s area are accepted and, if so, which areas are currently considered.
Ideally as close to the borough as possible, but within reasonable travel distance.
4. The current standard contractual or commercial arrangements offered to private landlords/providers, including typical lease/licence length, break clauses, rent/payment basis, void arrangements, repair responsibilities, council tax/utilities responsibilities and any guaranteed-rent provisions.
Private rented accommodation not routinely used for Temporary Accommodation.
5. The minimum property compliance requirements currently applied, including EPC, gas safety, electrical safety/EICR, fire safety, HMO/selective/additional licensing, insurance and any inspection/HHSRS requirements.
Must be legally compliant.
6. The number of households placed in TA at the latest available reporting date, broken down where held by household/property size.
123 (representing those owed a main duty), as follows:
Hostel – 2
Room in shared house – 9
Studio flat – 30
1 bed property – 45
2 bed property – 22
3 bed property – 14
5 bed property – 1
19 owed an interim duty or placement due to severe weather – B&B/hotel
7. For financial year 2025/26, the total gross expenditure on TA and, where held, the amount paid to external private-sector accommodation providers.
£197,701.71 total, which is made up of B&B’s/hotels where households are in interim
temporary accommodation.
8. For 2025/26, the number of TA units sourced from private landlords/companies/providers, and the number of units located outside the authority’s area.
The Council mainly uses its own stock, together with some accommodation from Registered Providers. When necessary nightly paid b&b/hotel accommodation is sourced but this is run by outside providers, hostels/supported housing is run by outside providers.
9. A list of current frameworks, dynamic purchasing systems, approved supplier lists, leasing schemes or other procurement routes through which private landlords, property companies or agents can offer accommodation to the authority, including the relevant procurement/contact route.
No specified procurement routes, accommodation is sourced as needed on an ad hoc
basis. Contact housingadvice@guildford.gov.uk
10. Any current recorded statement of priority property demand or shortage, for example demand for 1-, 2-, 3-, 4+ bedroom homes, HMOs, accessible homes or particular locations.
N/A
11. The name or job title and generic contact details of the team responsible for acquiring or commissioning temporary accommodation from private landlords or external providers.
No individual officer is responsible for this. Queries can be sent to housingadvice@guildford.gov.uk or made via telephone to the following number 01483 505050.
12. Where any requested information is already publicly available, please provide the direct link or document reference rather than reproducing it:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/homelessness-statistics
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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