A new initiative offering private landlords £5,000 to £25,000 to let their properties through a council has been given the go ahead.
Under the Welsh Government’s ‘Leasing Scheme Wales’ the Neath Port Talbot council will lease properties from private sector landlords and sub-let the properties to those it has a duty to protect from homelessness.
In addition the scheme will provide an extra intervention to tackle empty properties and poor housing conditions in the private sector that can adversely affect local communities.
The intention is to lease up to 82 properties in Neath Port Talbot by the end of March 2027 starting with four by March 2023 and increasing each year, with funding for the scheme being in place for an additional five years until 2032.
Under the scheme, councils will take on specific obligations in relation to the maintenance of properties, the rent being paid to the owners. A renovation incentive can also be offered to landlords where properties don’t meet minimum property standards or to improve the property’s Energy Performance Certificate rating.
The renovation incentive will be a grant of up to £5,000
Empty properties can be brought into the scheme and will be eligible for higher renovation incentives. Empty properties may be eligible for a grant up to a maximum of £25,000 although grants of more than £10,000 will require approval from Welsh Government.
Renovation incentives will only be offered to landlords who sign up to the scheme.
A council spokesperson says: “The scheme will help tackle homelessness by making more properties available and the aim is to improve the quality of private sector rental homes. It’s essential that tenants receive the support they need, and this scheme will provide that."
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No, No, No 😱, they are getting increasingly desperate.
Can't see many landlords falling for that one
Good luck with that! Only a fool would give their property to the Council to rent out.
I wonder how much contribution to society the very green Ross Greer thinks these potential tenants make, when landlords are being offered £25k to provide them with a home fully paid by society?
Robert,
Ross Greer is Scottish. He obviously can't see further than his own nose, let alone outside of Scotland all the way to Wales. Based upon his previous comments about him being 'thrilled' at Buckingham Palace burning down to the ground and organising a party to celebrate Thatcher's death I would also say you are being optimistic if you think that he thinks about anything at all.
Nick
I don't see how your first sentence leads to the conclusion in your following sentences, although I do agree with them.
Rent your property to the council.....ha ha....I think not!
This announcment is within weeks of the the new housing laws coming into effect in Wales. Personally I would not say no I would look at the contract / lease terms. Firstly they will become commercial leases not residential and this may be advantageous to some landlords and secondly the local authorities are desperate for all sort of property so it could be worth investigating
I agree. I rent to a council. I took the £25k. They deal with the tenant and I get paid every month hassle free. I expect to do a full refurb to sell anyway so I don't care about the condition.
I now like the commercial lease implication. With all the anti-landlord legislation around to say nothing of the white paper things are just too toxic to be a LL now.
Problem with commercial lease is are they within or out of the 1954 landlord and tenant act pt 2
If they’re within you may as well give the council the deeds to your property, that’s probably their long term aim anyway
Why don't they waive the additional (or all) the SDLT (or welsh equivalent) for landlords who are prepared to buy properties to sign up for this scheme. It seems bonkers to penalise landlords who are buying run down properties with one hand and then hand them cash with the other.
George, When Rogue Gove brings in The White Paper we might as well hand over the Residential Title Deeds as well.
Pity I ever had them now tens of thousands to go end of the month and again in July.
What for ? to be Bullied, Persecuted, Criminalised, overloaded with Regulation’s and Robbed.
All these brian surgeon bright sparks in politics and in the payroll of the local and national govt. hide the failings of all shades blue, red and yellow of govts to build more houses as well as increase direct taxation on big earners, now they try a variety of stunts to get houses!
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