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Council is first in country to offer Covid-helpline for landlords

A local authority is thought to be the first in the country to be offering a Coronavirus lifeline to hard-pressed landlords.

Leicester council has launched a new advice service for landlords having problems with their tenants. The aim is to help prevent tenants from being evicted and landlords from having to take costly and time-consuming court action, by resolving any problems before they get to that stage.

The council’s new service is designed to support landlords where their tenants are not fulfilling their legal obligations, or where financial difficulties have developed. 

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It will focus on preventing homelessness by helping tenants who are renting privately to sustain their tenancies, making sure that landlords can rest assured on matters of income.

Assistant city mayor for housing, Elly Cutkelvin, says: “The council may be the biggest landlord in the city, but many of our most vulnerable residents rent from private landlords. We recognise that this sector has a very big part to play in meeting the needs of some of those who are most in need of a housing solution.

“We rely on the support of responsible private landlords to help us provide homes, so it’s vital that we grow and maintain good relationships with landlords, as part of an overall housing strategy that also includes building more council homes.

“We also want to protect tenants and prevent them from potential homelessness. We can do this by offering landlords advice and assistance if they are having problems, finding solutions other than court action. Landlords will be able to use our service at any time, so that we can tackle problems before things get to eviction stage.”

Examples of the sort of help the service can provide include mediation and negotiation between tenants and landlords, facilitating payments to sustain tenancies in certain cases, or arranging for discretionary payments to solve affordability problems. 

To use the service, landlords should email landlordadvice@leicester.gov.uk and include as much information as possible about the situation, plus details of a preferred method of contact. One of the council’s team of advisors will then make contact within five working days, or sooner wherever possible. 

The council’s housing solutions service is also asking more socially-minded landlords in Leicester to consider providing affordable private rented tenancies to people at risk of becoming homeless. 

Landlords can benefit from a range of support schemes from the council, offering vetted tenants, regular communication and tenancy welfare checks, as well as rent guarantees and damage agreements. 

A range of options is available for landlords to consider, from a leased fully managed service, through to more light-touch solutions to overcome initial tenancy starting costs. To find out more, email privatesectorofficer@Leicester.gov.uk or call 0116 454 1008.

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

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    I had to read it twice, good News. Well Done one Leicester. They may not be able to help in every case but if they can help in a few this has to be good.
    Taking this a bit further would it work on a national level ?

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    When a council says it wants to help landlords smell a rat, it doesn't happen, it's a con , be very careful.

     
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    I agree with Andrew`s caution because of our historic treatment by councils but Yes I had to read this twice too. I can not believe I am saying this. A huge pat on the back Leicester. If all councils used this tone and took these kind of actions wouldn`t all parties, Tenants, Landlords and Council live in a better place?

     
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    • 02 November 2020 20:57 PM

    C'mon seriously what LL would trust a Council!!??

  • Matthew Payne

    Refreshing to see an authority understand the delicate balance between social housing and the PRS. Therefore they understand that allowing rent arrears and evictions to escalate out of control on their doorstep is going to create a massive problem for the council in the coming months, so they are trying to nip it in the bud. That's one of the things I would be doing if I was a council.

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