A council in Wales is making changes to the system it uses to encourage private landlords to lease their properties to the authority.

Currently Bridgend Council operates a private rent sector leasing scheme in partnership with Cartrefi Hafod, a registered social landlord. The scheme enables Cartrefi Hafod to lease properties from private sector landlords. 

In return private landlords receive a guaranteed rent and a professional housing management service, with the majority of repairs and maintenance handled and funded by Cartrefi Hafod. Typically 20 to 30 properties in Bridgend have been in the scheme, and in recent years many of them have been used to house Syrian refugees. 

However Cartrefi Hafod is ending its arrangement with all local authorities by the end of this year and now Bridgend council wants landlords in the existing scheme to switch to a similar but larger operation called Leasing Scheme Wales.

Leasing Scheme Wales is operated by the Welsh Government and already exists in 16 local authority areas in the country. 

The switch will mean that Bridgend council can offer private landlords guaranteed rent at local housing allowance rates for the length of a lease up to 20 years;  grants of up to £25,000; property management services; and tenant support.

The target is for a total of 88 properties in Bridgend to be available under the scheme by 2026-27.

Leasing Scheme Wales already operates in these local authorities: Blaenau Gwent; Cardiff; Carmarthenshire; Ceredigion; Conwy; Denbighshire; Gwynedd; Isle of Anglesey; Merthyr; Monmouthshire; Neath Port Talbot; Newport; Pembrokeshire; Powys; Rhondda Cynon Taf; and Wrexham.