Would you rent to a homeless person via a council scheme?

Another council has set up a scheme to locate the homeless in private rental properties.

Mansfield council says it will support people registered as homeless and living in temporary accommodation by funding deposits and first advanced rent payments to private landlords.

The council is also working with a private company, RentGuarantor, which offers an insurance-backed service, paid for by tenants.

A council statement says: “This will provide extra security for landlords for rent and legal proceedings should a tenant fall into rent arrears.”

In addition, the council will contact all tenants, in accommodation secured via the Private Rented Access Scheme, three times in the first six months of their tenancy. “This will be to make sure they are managing their tenancy and to encourage direct rent payments to their landlord” says the council.

The Private Access Scheme is being funding by over £180,000 from the government-funded Homelessness and Prevention Grant to the council.

Under the scheme, the private landlord rents their property directly to the applicant and a tenancy would be between the landlord and applicant.

All of the properties in the scheme would need to be checked by the council to ensure they are safe, secure and suitable, to ensure the maximum chance of a tenancy succeeding.

Read the full article at Landlord Today