Council desperation U-turning Government attacks on Landlords!

Council desperation U-turning Government attacks on Landlords!

10:40 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago 10

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Golden Welcome cash payment to landlords

Central Government is doing all it can to deter private landlords from providing housing to people on benefits and now Local Councils are desperate enough to do this:

Monmouthshire Lettings Service Scheme will offer landlords a cash payment of up to £1,200 just for joining, free quarterly property inspections and guaranteed rental payments.

The scheme offers landlords comprehensive checks and vetting on all potential tenants who will be drawn from those deemed homeless and most in urgent need of accommodation.

County Cabinet member and Councillor responsible for housing,  Bob Greenland, told the Abergavenny Chronicle: “It’s a letting agency with a difference where both landlord and tenant are listened to and valued equally with transparency and honesty integral to its working practices. The team will work with landlords to help manage and advertise properties as well as find vetted tenants.”

Click here to read the full article.

Private sector liaison officer, Lindsay Stewart,: “The money for the ‘Golden Welcome’ payments to landlords comes directly from Welsh Government funds to assist with homeless prevention services and will last until March of next year. We will be offering a vetting service to landlords to uncover criminal records and examine financial histories.

Tudor Thomas, of Abergavenny’s Priory Ward, said: “It’s a knee-jerk to try and increase housing stock but what is needed are some long term strategies to address the problems of the 5,000 people currently on the waiting list.”

An official statement by Monmouthshire County Council said:

“We have a statutory duty to help prevent homelessness and limit the use of B&B accommodation which is both financially costly, and often socially unacceptable to the homeless household.

“The role of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in providing affordable renting options is crucial for discharging our statutory homeless duties and providing accommodation to those who may struggle to access housing association accommodation or lack the ability to buy.

“To address the issue we have been successful in applying for Welsh Government funding that will assist us to engage and incentivise landlords to work with us more closely.

“We anticipate that the ‘Golden Hello’ together with further cash incentives for landlords willing to offer longer periods of settled accommodation will increase the number of properties available for households who struggle to find accommodation in their home communities near family, friends and support networks.”

 


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Comments

Dr Rosalind Beck

9:14 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

This is welcome news and it is good to see landlords being spoken about as though they are not the devil incarnate. However, it wouldn't be enough to persuade me. Landlords lose around £9 billion a year in unpaid rent and damages. This scheme does not help that as there is no guarantee to refund the landlord losses they incur as a result of taking on what we know are riskier clients.

TheMaluka

9:15 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

I wonder if the rent guarantee is for the full market rent? On second thoughts I do not wonder, it will be at the LHA rate and no landlord is going to accept that.

Big Blue

9:31 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

This is brilliant. You couldn't make it up. It's almost as funny as labour councils buying property through offshore companies to avoid tax (step right up, Bootle!). In this case we've got a local council trying to get round the problems caused by government policy and - guess what - all at additional expense to the public purse, additional expenses that will not show up on the government balance sheet in the final reckoning. How many other councils will go down this route? How long before they realise or admit its largely S24-driven?? For as long as they all refuse to speak out, the problem will only get worse. How will Abergavenny feel once the evictions start?! Ignorant fools the lot of them.

NW Landlord

9:33 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

You couldn’t make it up the lack of joined up thinking between central government and local councils. Stop trying to bankrupt portfolio landlords supporter them and things will improve absolute imbeciles

Gromit

9:42 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

Central Government are clueless, and don't know their left-hand from their right-hand (let alone what each is doing). They "say" the PRs is important, but their actions are to destroy it.

Local Government are acting purely reactively. My own local council have no plans whatsoever for dealing with the inevitable homelessness that the central Govt.'s war on the PRS that will result.

Either that or it a cynical ploy by central Govt to shift welfare costs onto Local Councils, so as to improve central Govt. deficit.

Gromit

9:45 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

This is not the first Local Council to do this:

Croydon: https://www.croydon.gov.uk/housing/privatehousing/housing-initiatives/schemes

Maidstone: http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/business/housing/rent-deposit-bond-scheme

How many are there that we don't know about, and how many more will have to do the same?

Rod

9:51 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

I totally agree with both previous comments as it's not enough to persuade me either. I'm dealing with a ? tenant at this moment! We're told homelessnes has increased greatly but 'no one' has mentioned it may be due to the fact that housing benefit is now paid to tenants who simply don't pay it on = eviction = homelessnes = never again for me! £100,000 might do though!

Fed Up Landlord

9:51 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

Great stuff. Nice to see the left hand if government working really well with local authorities - not. Will be sending this to my MP to show her what a cock up they are making in all this landlord bashing

Alun Thomas

10:02 AM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

Is this an April fool joke?? Must be! No it's still only November! This is the only Tory controlled council in Wales with a very right wing Tory MP and yes a Tory AM For this council to offer this incentive when their leaders in London are so anti Landlords has made made me fall off my kitchen stool this morning! Monmouthshire of all councils unbelievable. Now do I believe there is a God?

Hemant Shah

22:22 PM, 9th November 2017, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Rod at 09/11/2017 - 09:51
I don't trust council as they make good promises to you to put tenants in and
after few months or a year they change the policy, like last labour government did & I lost significant amount

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