Landlords Back Increase In Local Housing Allowance To Reflect Market Rents
MPs on parliament’s Housing, Communities and Local Government are considering giving private tenants more financial assistance during the Coronavirus outbreak.
The committee is calling for the Local Housing Allowance to be increased so it will properly ‘mirror’ real market rents which landlords have long been asking for.
A trade body has recently carried out research which found that the large majority of landlords who have had tenants asking them for help because of the pandemic, are supporting them.
A spokesperson for the trade body, said: “We want to see that [housing benefits] continue to ensure tenancies can be sustained. We have long called for benefits to cover rents which would be by far best option for tenants and landlords alike.”
The spokesperson also commented on the Committee’s recommendations regarding property repossessions: “We support the government’s efforts to ensure that landlords and tenants seek first to reach a mutually agreeable solution where rent arrears have built up as a result of Coronavirus. These ‘pre-action protocols’ balance the needs of landlords and tenants and contain genuine, compelling sanctions to ensure good practice.
“We will continue to work with the government to ensure that its plans are meaningful and workable for both tenants and landlords.”
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