Councils appeal to private landlords to help with housing crisis

Councils appeal to private landlords to help with housing crisis

0:01 AM, 31st January 2025, About A week ago 31

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Two councils are urging private landlords to collaborate on initiatives to help find homes for homeless people and families in their areas.

Mansfield District Council has launched a scheme to partner with landlords to reduce homelessness.

The aim is to help those who are registered as homeless and currently in temporary residences – a report reveals that there has been a big jump in demand over the last three years.

The council will pay rent deposits and initial rent payments.

There’s also a partnership with RentGuarantor which, the council says, will offer landlords security to cover rent and legal expenses in case of tenant arrears.

Unwilling to let to the homeless

Mansfield’s portfolio holder for housing, Coun Anne Callaghan, said: “Private landlords are often unwilling to let to people and families who are homeless, and many people are homeless and on our waiting list because they simply cannot raise the amount needed to pay a deposit for a privately rented property.

“Many also struggle to pay the first rent in advance because of the way Universal Credit pays benefits in arrears.”

She added: “What the Private Rented Access Scheme will do is enable us to work with landlords and create successful, long-term tenancies.

“The kind of homeless people we want to help ranges from single people to families.”

Promoting direct rent payments

Mansfield says there will be three check-ins during the first six months, focusing on tenancy management and promoting direct rent payments.

Financed with a £187,681 government grant, the scheme forms part of the council’s homelessness and prevention strategy with the year-long pilot scheme starting on 1 February.

Mansfield currently has 38 households in interim accommodation waiting for permanent homes and 4,598 people are on the housing waiting list with 173 being in Band One – the highest priority.

Exeter appeals for landlord help

Meanwhile, Exeter City Council is appealing to homeowners and landlords with vacant properties or spare bedrooms to help with the city’s housing shortage.

The council’s housing access team offers guidance and assistance to reintroduce vacant homes into the market.

Exeter’s lead councillor for housing, Coun Marina Asvachin, said: “We currently have a large demand for all types of accommodation in Exeter.

“We know that many properties and bedrooms are standing vacant in the city.

“Our vision is to create sustainable tenancies that work for landlords and tenants alike.”

The council says it is offering attractive financial incentives, including upfront cash, deposits, advance rent and continuous support for both landlords and tenants.


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Reluctant Landlord

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18:50 PM, 3rd February 2025, About 5 days ago

Reply to the comment left by AnthonyJames at 02/02/2025 - 20:51
it amazes me when you read about S106....

"Planning obligations may involve a developer making a financial contribution to delivering infrastructure or a service. Alternatively, there may be an obligation on the developer to deliver something themselves (like a play area on a site, or a certain amount of affordable housing). Planning obligations help to mitigate the impact of new development."

Mitigate the impact of new housing?! Isn't new housing nationally agreed it is desperately and universally needed? How can the impact be negative - it needs to be built!

Surely a council in their right mind would be desperate to allow builders to crack on and build more homes? The developers will only bother if it is economically viable and only built according to what they can sell for the area its built in/demographic.

Councils need to trust that they have determined it is viable and let them get on with it. They are putting their money where their mouth is afterall.

They don't actually need provide a specific number of 'affordable' homes either. This can actually put buyers of the other properties on that estate off.
They can be shared ownership for example where the occupant always has financial skin in the game (meaning no one is subjected to the tiny rent paying nightmares that the council want out of expensive temp accommodation.

Council will ultimately get more council tax over a longer term as the owner occupiers/shared owners will be paying, whereas many benefit tenants do not.

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