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Rent in Advance Loan

We have a limited amount of money available to provide interest free loans to help people living in the Borough to rent private accommodation when they are in housing need but cannot afford the amount needed to pay the rent in advance or deposit asked by most private landlords.

 

What is the process for applying?

  • First of all come in and talk to us about your situation or contact the team on 0118 974 6760.

  • Providing you meet the basic criteria, you will be asked to complete an application form so that we can carry out a full assessment of your situation.

  • A final decision will be made by the Housing Needs Manager.

  • If you are unhappy with the decision you can ask to speak to the Senior Housing Options Officer but as this is a discretionary scheme there is no formal appeal process.

 

Eligibility

In order to beeligible you will need to meet certain conditions including:

  1. You need to be homeless or in urgent housing need. By this we mean you have no home or right to stay in your present home, or are threatened with homelessness within the next 28 days.  You could be threatened with homelessness if you need to leave your home due to domestic abuse.

  2. You need to have a local connection. We have set a minimum requirement of being resident in the Borough throughout the last 12 months.

  3. You may alternatively qualify if you are escaping violence from another place and cannot return there.

  4. The property should be of an appropriate size for you and the rent must be within set levels. The rent must be at or below the local housing allowance for the area where the property is located. The local housing allowance is based on Housing Benefit’s determination of the number of bedrooms you need.

 

What do I do if I think I am not eligible?

You can and should still arrange to talk to a member of the housing needs team and they will be able to confirm whether you are likely to be eligible. Even if you are not eligible they will probably be able to give you advice and maybe direct you to other agencies that may be in a position to help.

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