Council - Private sector resettlement scheme

[Barbara031055]

Hello everyone,

I am a new landlord who found tenant under the borough council's Private Sector Resettlement Scheme.

I was told that the council would find suitable tenants, and that they would do the contract and inventory.

I submitted all the necessary certificates.

The family moved in on 07.08.09. I have received no rent whatsoever, and am being given the runaround by the tenants.

I discovered by chance their last landlord who told me he had to evict them and was left with a badly damaged property.

In the document the council gave me it states 'we help in finding suitable tenants'.

Does anyone know if I can claim against the council for providing 'unsuitable' tenants?

[Mortitia]

Hi Barbara,

I'm not familiar with this scheme but it would seem that your first point of contact should be with the local authority to see where the rent is along with the contract etc. Question them as to the suitablility of the as tenants and try to get something in writing.

What were the terms of you taking these people on?

What do you mean - 'given the run around' ? We need facts really.

What this last landlord says is heresay - get him to show you the eviction order - is it the same people? - if so show it to the council and demand an explanation. Some councils offer a limited compensation for damage but in my expererience it is very limited. You need to negotiate and firstly where is the rent.

I wonder if you as a new landlord thought this would be an easy option of local authority providing tenants and they (LA) pay the rent. LOL if only life was sooo simple. It isn't so maybe you need to see about getting the tenants out of your property and re-assess your future in this business.

Hope this does not sound to hard on you,

Mortitia

[Melboy]

I've heard of this scheme and I was going to let a small flat under this scheme but my experience with the local council was so wishy-washy I decided against it as clearly their left and right hands didn't have a clue as to what was going on.

Basically they take the property on for 3 to 5 years and guarantee the rental income and hand back condition to the Landlord at the end of the tenancy.

Good idea for continuity of rental income for landlords but unfortunately you have to deal with local council officials who never seem to have a clue as to what is going on and fail most of the time to help you out when problems do arise normally hiding behind the data protection act.

When they bring back paying the landlord directly and not the tenant is the day I will review ever renting to the local authority.

Mel.

[Trenners]

Hi Barbara,

What we need to establish is WHO is responsible for paying you the rent money.

Under the Private Sector Resettlement Scheme - has the Council promised to pay you the rent - or has the Council simply promised to find you a tenant ..... and the tenant will then claim Housing Benefit and pay you the rent.

Regarding suitability of tenants - if the Council have promised to pay you the rent then they have, in effect, leased the property from you for a defined period of time. I would assume, at the end of the tenancy, that they would have promised to return the property to the same condition as it was at the start of the tenancy. So, Council pay the rent, Council repair the property - does it matter about "suitability" in this scenario?

If the tenant is paying the rent .... then you need to ask the Council how they decide whether a tenant is suitable or not.

Either way .... your first point of call must be the local Council to establish what is happening. The longer you take to contact the Council .... the more rent you risk losing as if your tenant is receiving rent payments direct from the benefit office most of this money has probably already been spent !

Good luck

Mark