Cornwall searches for Landlords to help stop homelessness

Cornwall searches for Landlords to help stop homelessness

9:10 AM, 6th February 2020, About 5 years ago 8

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This week Cornwall Housing Private Lets starts its search for more landlords, with a range of services, to increase the number of safe and secure homes in Cornwall and help prevent anyone from sleeping on the streets.

Through partnership working with Cornwall Council, Cornwall Housing has been successfully awarded funding under the Rapid Rehousing Pathway initiative to expand as a letting’s agency with social values. This specialist service has been set up to offer help for vulnerable people who are not owed a housing duty and need additional support to access and maintain accommodation within the private rented sector.

Building partnerships with landlords through a transparent relationship to help make an informed decision, means the team will be able to offer a portfolio of properties to give support to rough sleepers, former rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping.

Nick Cross, Managing Director of Cornwall Housing said: “This is a unique offer to any private landlord and will help to fulfil our duty to help homeless people and to prevent homelessness in Cornwall. Both tenants and landlords will benefit from having access to our tenancy sustainment support. Whether you are a seasoned landlord or new to the sector our Private Lets team will tailor the tenancy to suit each opportunity.”

With pre-assessed tenants ready to start an agreement, homeowners can have the confidence that the Cornwall Housing team has the knowledge and expertise for a seamless and well-supported experience with minimal risk. This service will have no upfront costs and the option for a free tenant finder service for self-managing landlords.

Homes of all sizes are needed in Falmouth/Penryn, Penzance, Truro, Newquay, Camborne, Redruth, St Austell, Bodmin, Liskeard and surrounding areas.

Interested landlords should speak to the Cornwall Housing Private Lets team on 01872 224556 for properties in the west of the county or 01208 265616 in the east, or by email at infoprivatelets@cornwallhousing.org.uk


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Andrew

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10:30 AM, 6th February 2020, About 5 years ago

Is it worth rethinking the 6.5sqm room law now in HMO’s lol.
I know of a few tenants that have been evicted due to the council forcing landlords to evict tenants and they had nowhere to go, but they were happy with the cheaper rent, now the rooms are empty.

Robert M

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11:14 AM, 6th February 2020, About 5 years ago

So the council will place rough sleepers and other homeless households in to the private landlord's property, so that the council can clear their streets and parks of the increasing numbers of rough sleepers. Sounds fair enough on the face of it, but as many homeless people become homeless for a reason, quite often because they have been evicted for rent arrears, criminal damage, anti-social behaviour, etc, and/or because they have multiple personal support needs (drug/alcohol dependency, offending history, mental health problems, etc), then what is the incentive for private landlords to rehouse them, (especially when the highly subsidised councils and housing associations won't even take the risk of placing them in their own housing stock)?

Will the Council (or Shelter, Crisis, etc) provide FULL rent arrears and damage guarantees?

Will the Council pay for the legal costs of evicting the tenants if they turn out to be bad tenants?

Will the Council pay the increased buildings insurance costs?

Will the Council pay the rent during any void periods which are caused by repairs needed to damage done by tenants?

Will the Council pay the shortfall between the rent paid by the tenant or Universal Credit to the landlord, and the actual rent charged (bearing in mind the UC process based on the tenant's Benefit Assessment Period which usually results in a shortfall of rent at the end of a tenancy)?

Will the Council pay the cost of items (e.g. white goods) stolen or damaged by these tenants?

Apart from no letting agent fees, what exactly is the incentive for private landlords to join this Council scheme?

James Barnes

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11:22 AM, 6th February 2020, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Andrew at 06/02/2020 - 10:30
I don't think so, 6.5m2 is desperately small, especially when considering the person occupying that room could have all their worldly possessions stored there. Removing the lower limit would just create a race to the bottom and probably result in something like Hong Kong's coffin type apartments becoming the norm.

Andrew

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12:02 PM, 6th February 2020, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by James Barnes at 06/02/2020 - 11:22
The tenants were happy with the rent thou but they had to go.
The really frustrating part is that the 6.5sqm rule doesn’t apply to the council run properties so they can house tenants whereas the PRS are not allowed to.

Monty Bodkin

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12:20 PM, 6th February 2020, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Robert Mellors at 06/02/2020 - 11:14
"Apart from no letting agent fees"

There are plenty of fees Rob, clink on the 'service' link in the article.

Robert M

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16:04 PM, 6th February 2020, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Monty Bodkin at 06/02/2020 - 12:20
So there are no advantages for landlords whatsoever then, compared to a standard letting agent? - But has the considerably higher likelihood of increased costs on the landlord due to the sort of issues I've mentioned.

I wonder why they are not placing all these vulnerable homeless people in the 3000 Council properties they are managing?

Dr Rosalind Beck

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16:21 PM, 6th February 2020, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Robert Mellors at 06/02/2020 - 11:14
Excellent questions, Robert. The council must be living under a very large stone, if they think private landlords are going to take these additional huge risks in the hostile environment, which the councils are complicit with.

Antony Richards

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13:23 PM, 8th February 2020, About 5 years ago

DON’T TOUCH IT.
A few years ago I had about 85 properties on this scheme with the district council. It worked OK. Then Cornwall Council took over as the new unitary authority. It became a nightmare. We now have none. A developer I am friendly with had IRO 50 units on the scheme and like me was delighted to take the last one back in hand no long ago.
The admin is so bad that the chap we used to work with actually committed suicide in the summer due to the ridiculous demands being made by the bosses. Accountants not property management.

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