Let's Rent – Cash incentives for landlords

Cash incentives for landlords

Landlords can now receive up to £2,250 as a cash incentive if they offer their homes to local families on a long-term basis. 

In order to make more properties available to support local families who require housing, we are now offering landlords a cash incentive to rent their homes to tenants eligible from the housing register for a two-year period. This incentive runs alongside our Rent Guarantee scheme (which guarantees the rent for the first 4 months).

Ask about our ‘refer a friend’ scheme. £250 for you and the friend referred if a property is let through us.

What does our landlord cash incentive scheme offer?

The cash incentive is being offered to help cover the costs of making sure your property meets letting standards, and the amount you receive depends on the size of the property you are letting.

How much will you receive?

  • 1-bedroom property – £1,000
  • 2-bedroom property – £1,300
  • 3-bedroom property – £1,700
  • 4-bedroom property – £2,250

Do we carry out checks on potential tenants?

Yes. All potential tenants must complete a homelessness application and attend a comprehensive assessment appointment to discuss their circumstances and housing history. 

Our goal is to create sustainable tenancies, so we:

  • assess if the client will manage a tenancy successfully
  • assess the chances of a claim being made on the rent guarantee at the end of the tenancy by the landlord
  • carry out full reference and credit checks for every tenant before putting them forward to rent a property 
  • check they have a good tenancy history 
  • assess affordability to make sure there is less chance of rent arrears 

Supporting tenants to manage their tenancies

Tenancy sustainment is imperative to us, so all our prospective tenants undertake our Tenant Accreditation Scheme. This helps them develop the skills and knowledge required to maintain their tenancy successfully. The scheme is a module-based course which contains current, useful and relevant housing information.

We also have a variety of specialist support services. Our Community Support team, Housing Benefit service, including the Department of Work and Pensions, and other partner agencies such as Citizens Advice. All are fully trained and have a wealth of knowledge and experience in a broad range of issues including housing, rent arrears, benefits, debt, mental/physical health issues, and much more.

Do we inspect properties during the tenancy?

Yes. As part of our service, managed properties are inspected every three months. Longer intervals between inspections may be allowed depending on how the tenancy has been conducted and landlord preferences. 

All properties are also inspected a couple of weeks before the end of the agreement to go through the condition of the property with the tenant; identifying any areas which need attention. After the tenant has left, we assess the condition prior to authorising return of the deposit.

Our landlords usually leave us to undertake regular inspections and interactions with the tenant, but you are welcome to visit your property when you want, as long as you give reasonable notice to the tenant. 

What happens if a tenant fails to pay their rent or creates issues?

Our full management service means your rent is assured for the first four months. Following this period, we will always carry out investigations into non-payment and manage the process immediately, keeping you in the loop. 

As our officers regularly contact the tenants, we will address issues in the early stages. We use a suitable, modern tenancy agreement which ensures landlords are protected. However, on rare occasions, if ongoing problems occur, our officers are skilled in the court process and have the training to take legal action when required.

What do you need to do to your property?

Above all, rental properties must be safe. It should also be clean, dry, well insulated with adequate means of heating and free from hazards or defects.

Part of our initial appraisal of a property includes an assessment of its overall condition to identify what work needs to be done to bring it up to the required standard. Part of our policy is that all properties available via us should not only be safe for their occupants but be in good condition, clean and well-presented.

Interested? Talk to us

To register your interest and find out more about the Landlord Cash Incentive Scheme, contact us:

Email: letsrent@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 300 8600