Another council is looking for landlords with rental properties to match them with prospective tenants who are ready to move in.  

Last week we reported on Shropshire council wanting private landlords to help it fulfill its obligations to homeless families.

Now Gloucester council wants to build what it calls “strong relationships” with landlords and offers a Landlord Incentive Scheme to match landlords and prospective tenants and support them throughout the tenancy.

The incentives include a free property health and safety inspection to advise on the relevant housing regulations that need to be met, such as gas and electrical tests.

The scheme also offers financial incentives for a 12-month tenancy, including supporting the tenant’s deposit and first month’s rent, lump sum rent payments for self-contained accommodation and contributions towards insurance.

So far the council has matched over 50 households with landlords but more properties are needed.

Ruth Saunders, Corporate Director at Gloucester City Council, says: “We want to hear from local landlords so that we can match them with tenants and we will support them for the duration of the tenancy. 

“We offer a variety of financial incentives to landlords and give a helping hand to those people who might not otherwise be able to get into a rental property.”

A statement from the council cites a local landlord – Joe Watts, a landlord from Gloucester – saying: “The team make things extremely easy from a landlord’s perspective. 

“They take the stress out of sourcing quality tenants, eliminate the need for costly agent fees, and offer incredible financial incentives to work with them. Their communication and support is unmatched. I would definitely recommend it.”