Real letting deals for real people
As the property market in London continues to boom, a charity that specialises in helping homeless people is looking to set up an agreement with landlords that will benefit all parties concerned in the letting sector.
Booming rental market
It is no secret that landlords in the capital are achieving record rents month after month as tenants fall over themselves in the rush to acquire a decent property. Property investors with an interest in making huge profits are snapping up homes quicker than private buyers in London at the moment and it is with this housing shortage backdrop that the Broadway charity is trying to find settled accommodation for former homeless people.
Letting agency set up by charity
In a bid to get a measure of control over the homes the charity finds for its beneficiaries, the charity decided to form a letting agency of its own and Real Lettings has now been established for some time. However, trying to persuade landlords to give those down and out a chance, as not always proved easy, but the fact that the agency is now letting more than 160 properties out in the London area is testament to the work it has put in and also to the trust landlords have put in the charity.
Leasing scheme pays money up front
The latest idea put forward by Real Lettings is a leasing scheme that offers landlords a £200 fee just for signing up. The scheme offers landlords the security of either a three year or five year contract and guarantees them rent throughout the period even if the property is empty. The charity also guarantee that the property is kept up to a certain standard via a management service with minor repairs being carried out at no cost to the landlord.
Landlords will gain in more than one way
The scheme will certainly attract some landlords as the security of five year tenure is not that easy to come by. The guarantee of rent, management and minor repairs not only guarantees the landlord that his property is being maintained but it also offers to reduce his rental property insurance premiums.
Speaking at the launch of the scheme, Katie Rosengarten, a manager at Real Lettings, said that the scheme was an attractive proposition for many landlords, especially absent landlords, and there was also an altruistic element to the scheme whereby landlords know their property is helping a tenant who has experienced hard times.