Free gas and electrical checks are among the incentives being offered to landlords with properties in Barrow-in-Furness in a bid to encourage them to accept people at risk of homelessness.
The social housing shortage across Cumbria has left some local authorities with little alternative but to think of new ways to increase the housing stock available to them and the people applying for affordable homes.
Barrow Borough Council has decided to address the growing housing crisis in the borough by trying to encourage more private landlords to take on new tenants by launching a new scheme.
Aside from free gas and electricity checks, the incentives being offered to landlords also include smoke and CO2 detectors, designed to ensure that the properties meet the council's safety standards.
Cllr Dave Pidduck, chair of the committee and leader of Barrow Council, “It’s an initiative that is really important. We have landlords that have short and long term apartments.
“If we can get them [landlords] to join the scheme that will be for the benefit of the town but also for then. They will benefit working with the local council.”
If fully implemented this incentive scheme will allow the council to offer six to 12 month tenancies for those presenting to the council's homelessness service.
Cllr Brendan Sweeney said: “It’s [the scheme] a no brainer. There is a huge number of private sector houses in the borough and there are really good landlords used to taking people in. This is encouraging more to have a go at it.”
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a guaranteed rent and all damage repaired, then just maybe some landlords might consider taking these people on.
Therein 'lies the rub'?
Oh yes that will swing it !!
Local Council should be lobbying Government to repeal the massive tax hikes imposed on Landlords that is causing rents to rise, Landlords to exit the market, and evictions to soar as a result.
Treat the problem, not the symptoms.
Could not agree more. Treating the symptoms will lead to more unexpected consequences.
Never was a truer word spoken. Agree 100%.
The fall-out from section 24 is going to be extremely considerable.
Lipstick on a pig! This demonstrates that councils haven’t a clue by offering pathetic checks we already do whilst we’re drowning in taxes and legislation which will drive 150,000 PRS let’s from the market this year. It’s a bit like giving out free smoke alarms during a forest fire that is moving towards your village at 20kph. Useless tokenism.
And batteries not included.
For god sake surely government could see what the outcome of all this battering was going to end up like. I for one will NEVER take on DSS because of all the S**T I've had to put up with trying to evict them and the protection they gave the tenant and never spared a thought for me or my property. I have just sold 10 flats and going to sell the rest very soon. There will be fewer rentable properties very soon so now they come on offering free gas checks! What total imbeciles. Bret will also bring mass unemployment so look out Landlords!
There's nowt so clueless as a clueless politician
Councils have not the faintest idea that the new tax regulations are causing even the most gently leveraged landlords (let alone those with 75% loan to value, which is the industry de facto norm) to cash-out of the market. By the time we've hit 100 % no interest allowed the tax take will create negative cashflow completely incompatible with the survival of a buy to let landlord with borrowings, and the properties will have to be sold. Consequently the remaining homeless numbers will soar beyond current levels. And there will be less landlords around to pick up the mess. Section 24 is a disastrous taxation policy and an extremely dangerous threat to both tenants and landlords. It needs to be reversed with immediate affect.
Said this would happen. Councils and government Muppets do not have a clue about how to house people and rent them properties.
Due to stupid rules regs and fees imposed on us professional B2L landlords more and more of us are selling up and the councils will have to revert back to council housing as in 50s 60s and 70s. They have not got a clue or the man power to manage.
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