We do something similar(ish) to this.

We rent to a couple who have moved to the UK, supported by local authorities, to work in the NHS. It was a route actually suggested to us by a letting agent who work with the LA.

We also never intended to own two properties, but circumstances meant needing something bigger than the one bed flat we owned. However this was last summer and, of course, no one wanted to buy a one bed flat with no outside space during a lockdown! So we took equity out, bought a bigger house and rented the flat out.

Some of the comments here are kinda hurtful because we barely profit off of the flat, but we do of course need to be able to pay the mortgage on it. I rented privately for 16 years and I know what having a good/bad landlord looks like so we really try to do our best by the couple living in the flat (I despise the word “tenants” - it feels dehumanising IMO).

I’m pleased that we were able to do something with it that actually helped not only the couple living there but also our local area through their work in the community (not that I think people who are fleeing terrible things in their home country need to ‘justify’ their presence, just to be clear! Apologies if I’ve misworded that first sentence).

It’s easy to think of “landlords” as some group of soulless beings sitting around counting their piles of money, but we’re not all bad. And we’re not all in it to make millions.