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Landlords tell Sunak to help tenants pay off Covid-related arrears

The proportion of private renters in arrears in England has more than doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic according to government data.

The latest Household Resilience Study reveals that in April-May 2021 seven per cent of private renters were in arrears, up from three per cent in 2019/20. This amounts to over 780,000 renters.

An extra nine per cent indicated that they expected to fall behind with their rents over the next 12 months. This comes despite private rents having fallen in real terms.

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With some 27 per cent of private renters having reported difficulties in meeting their heating costs in the same period, the National Residential Landlords Association is warning that with rising bills now adding to their burden, many renters will struggle to pay off Covid-related rent debts.

 

 

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, says: “Landlords are being put in a difficult position. They either try to shoulder rent debts they cannot afford or seek to repossess properties as a final resort.

“Without a targeted package of support to pay off Covid rent debts, many tenants run the risk of losing their homes needlessly. They also face the possibility that their credit scores will be damaged, making it more difficult to access new housing in future.

“The Chancellor needs to address this crisis. His continued failure to act signals to the private rented sector that the government simply does not care about the problem.”

Want to comment on this story? If so...if any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals on any basis, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.

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    I think the Chancellor, or more accurately, the taxpayer has already been too generous with the 80% furlough scheme going on far too long.

    Plenty of job vacancies for those willing to work.

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    My eldest daughter works in a care home, they are leaving rooms empty because they cannot get the staff to to look after a full home, petrol stations have notices up wanting staff, van drivers (normal car licence) wanted, there is no excuse to be unemployed today, stop these scroungers benefits if they refuse to work, why should we the working tax payers be buying these low lifes their fags, special brew and drugs -- my rant for today.

     
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    If tenants fall into arrears. There should be help for the landlords.
    The scheme would start to work as soon as the tenants fall behind on rent more than 2 months.
    This intervention will have many benefits .
    Help can be directed to the tenant to find the cause.
    A loan package with low interest will give tenants and landlord piece of mind.
    Landlords are not charities.
    Nobody benefits if arrears add up and then eviction is proceeded.
    Government help and intervention for the tenant is much cheaper for the country than the fallout from evictions.
    This has to be robust intervention with guarantees from both sides.
    This has to be a hand up not a hand out.
    This is compassion with dignity.
    But more over good financial and social sense for all involved.
    Remember, promising to build new homes doesn't help people in crisis now. That means tenants and landlord.

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