Council’s incentives for landlords to help Ukranians rent homes in South Cambridgeshire
Landlords in South Cambridgeshire are being offered incentive payments of up to £2,820 to help Ukrainian refugees find privately rented homes for a six-month tenancy.
Since the Homes from Ukraine scheme started, the district council has welcomed more than 870 Ukrainians, spread across 665 different hosts, and this is the highest number of guests for any lower-tier local authority. And the council has directly supported 174 families so far into either private accommodation or social housing.
Under its Homes for Ukraine Landlord Incentive Scheme, the council is inviting anyone with a rental or empty property in South Cambridgeshire to make them available.
The scheme will provide private landlords with an incentive payment for offering a tenancy at either market rent or local housing allowance (LHA) rates for an initial six-month period.
The payments range from £1,140 for a one-bedroom home at market rent, or £2,280 at LHA rates, up to £1,410 for a four-bedroom home at market rent, or £2,820 at LHA rates.
The weekly LHA rates are: shared room rate £97, one bedroom £178.36, two bedrooms £195.62, three bedrooms £218.63, and four bedrooms £299.18.
After the initial term expires, landlords can receive a further payment if they offer a renewal of the tenancy and these additional payments will vary depending on the length of tenancy offered.
Cllr Bill Handley, the council’s lead cabinet member for communities, said: “We are hugely thankful to the 660+ hosts across South Cambridgeshire who have opened their homes to more than 870 guests from Ukraine. We are also grateful to residents who have welcomed the Ukrainian people into community life.
“Our focus is now on helping families from Ukraine take the next step and live a more independent life here in South Cambridgeshire. That means a place of their own. So far, we have directly supported 174 families into either private accommodation or into social housing.
“If you own a rental or empty property in South Cambs, you can get up to £2,820 for offering a six-month tenancy to Homes for Ukraine guests. The competitive private rental market in South Cambs makes it extremely hard for Ukrainian refugees to rent a property when moving on from their host families.
“We know there are local landlords who wish to help – and our incentive scheme is designed to encourage them to offer their properties to help our Ukrainian guests move to independence.”
The council has provided more than £86,000 in wrap-around support for Homes for Ukraine guests to access their own independent accommodation. Support includes rent in advance and rent deposit payments as gifts, a comprehensive furniture package with up to £2,000 worth of essential items, and the option to pay for expenses such as removal costs and providing a fee for a guarantor service.
It also offers mental health and wellbeing support to both Ukrainian guests and hosts and has employed Ukrainian speakers to ensure that support is relayed to guests in their own language.
If you are a landlord who is interested in joining this incentive scheme, email HFULiaison@scambs.gov.uk or call 01954 713411 to discuss the details. You can also complete an online form via the web page www.scambs.gov.uk/hfu-landlord-incentive.
