Appeal for private landlords to help council house homeless people in Peterborough

Peterborough City Council has issued an appeal to find private landlords willing to rent their properties to the council.

The council has said that it is on the lookout for family-sized properties to support households that have become homeless and require temporary accommodation while permanent arrangements are made.

Properties would be leased for five years- with a rolling break clause-, rents (equal to the current Local Housing Allowance rates +10%) would be paid monthly in advance, the council would manage the property at no additional cost of the landlord, also taking responsibility for all repairs and statutory compliance.

The property would then be returned to the landlord in a “fit and rentable state.”

The council is also willing to help bring empty properties up to lettable standard with the cost of works to be recovered through a reduced rent scheme spread out over the lease term.

Sean Evans, assistant director for housing at Peterborough City Council, said : “We want to encourage as many private landlords to get in contact as possible, this will allow us to help more people that are in a tricky situation and need accommodation.

“We are looking for housing that covers the full breadth of the city, from two-bedroom homes to much larger properties. We understand that for many landlords, this may be seen as risky, but Peterborough City Council will take care of all matters and simply hand you the keys back at the end of your contract.”

If you are interested in learning more, you can visit the Peterborough City Council website.