Nottingham City Council is asking landlords in the Private Rented Sector, who may have an empty home or space for a new tenancy, to get in touch to help give homeless individuals and families in the city a home.
The council’s Nottingham Private Rented Assistance Scheme (NPRAS) aims to reduce the number of Nottingham families at risk of homelessness, by providing landlords with free or low-cost services to make it easy for them to rent out their property.
NPRAS works with individuals and families to find them homes to rent, many of who have found themselves homeless through no fault of their own. In the last year, local landlords have helped NPRAS to house 409 homeless households in the city.
Landlords who join NPRAS are given support with a free Lettings Service, which includes:
- Tenant finding and referencing with accompanied viewings
- Advanced payments of deposits or bonds and monthly rent
- Free administration service including all legal paperwork, Right To Rent checks and Tenancy Agreements
- Detailed inventory, with photos, at the start of the tenancy
- Universal Credit and Housing Benefit payments sent directly to Landlords
- A written bond allowing Landlords to claim for damage or rent arrears directly from NPRAS
They also offer a low-cost Management Service for only £35 per month, which includes regular inspections, safety checks, rent collection, tenancy management and mediation and end of tenancy check outs, including inspections and inventories.
The team want to invite any interested Landlords to a Microsoft Teams event, so they can learn more about the scheme, the types of tenants the team have housed and find out what support NPRAS can give them.
The event is happening Wednesday 23rd June at 6pm for 45 minutes. Anyone wishing to attend should email npras@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or for any enquiries – npras.co.uk or telephone 0115 8761644
Cllr Linda Woodings, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Housing and Heritage, said: “We already have some fantastic landlords on the NPRAS scheme, who have made a real difference to people’s lives. Having a safe place to live should be a basis right and city landlords are stepping up to help support those who have found themselves homeless.
“But we need more landlords, we work to prevent homelessness daily and we often work with people who have lost their homes due to loss of a job causing mortgage arrears, domestic abuse and family breakdown or harassment. We need our landlords to give these people a safe and warm home, whilst benefitting from professional support from NRPAS throughout the process.”
Helen Foster, NPRAS Manager, commented: “At the online event, landlords can come and chat to us and find out how we will support them with tenants. We will be there to answer their questions, discuss options and clear up any misconceptions. Many of the people we help are families who have found themselves in hostels or hotels and city landlords can help them move in a new rental home and we support those landlords every step of the way for a smooth tenancy.”
Header image ©Rafael Ben-Ari/AdobeStock
