The prospect of a guaranteed rent each month, even during void periods, has enticed more than 50 private landlords to sign up to a council scheme to let their properties to families in need of housing.

Milton Keynes Council has developed the Secure Lets scheme to appeal to local private landlords as a way to increase the number of rental homes available to families in need of properties in the local area.

With the council acting as the tenant, landlords get a guaranteed rent each month even if no-one is living in the property.

What’s more Milton Keynes Council is currently offering to pay 10% above the Local Housing Allowance rate, which is the cap up to which housing benefit is paid. This could mean an income of £722 per month for a two-bedroom flat in the Milton Keynes area.

As the paying tenant, the council is also responsible for day-to-day repairs and must ensure that the property is returned to the landlord at the end of the tenancy in good condition.

Councillor Nigel Long, the cabinet member responsible for housing, said: “We’re really keen to work with landlords who might not have considered a council tenant in the past, but who want minimal hassle along with the security of a regular income. Having the council as your tenant is a very reliable and low risk way of renting a property.

“The more properties we can offer in MK, the more we’re able to provide accommodation nearer to where people work or where their children go to school, which can make all the difference to how a family copes with the tough situation they find themselves in.”