Rent Deposit Scheme

When you rent a property in the private property market it is usual to have to pay a deposit up front to the landlord or agency and sometimes this can be a challenge to get together. So to make sure this is not a barrier for people who might face homelessness, we can arrange to lend you the money for the deposit. You will be expected to pay this back, but we will make sure that it is at a rate that you can afford.

It may sound daunting but private rent is often the quickest way to access an affordable home, as there are many more properties available in the private rental area than in social housing. Also when looking through the private sector you can also look and choose wherever you like. We are also here to help you with our Tenancy Support team, Community Advice service and even a Private Landlord Liaison Officer.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible to apply for the rent deposit scheme you must be either homeless or facing homelessness. You can find out more on our facing homelessness page.

How do I apply?

First things first, you will have an interview with one of our Housing Options officers, who will go through your situation and see if you are homeless or threatened with homelessness and see if this is the best path of support for you. If the Housing officer agrees that you are homeless or facing homelessness and that private rent with the rent deposit scheme is one of your options you will be referred to the Income Recovery Officer who will work with you alongside any other support and actions your Housing Officer will put in place.

You will then need to have an income and expenditure assessment. You can read all about how that works and what you will need to supply on the Income and Expenditure page.

After the income and expenditure assessment, if it is agreed that you are eligible, it is affordable, and that it is the best option for you. A loan and repayment amount will be agreed in principle. This does not mean that you are guaranteed to get it just that we agree that in principle you are eligible. 

We then have to complete an Experian check Voters Roll (VR) and a Public Information Report (PIR) to confirm addresses.  PIR may also pick up CCJs (although not always).  If these checks reveal anything that you did not tell us about at interview, a full credit check can be completed under Section 29 of the Data Protection Act 1998, for the prevention or detection of crime (i.e. fraud).

What will happen if I am successful?

Once both the I&E assessment and Experian checks have been completed, we will contact you to let you know if you are successful and we will send you details of what you can afford to borrow, as well as how much you can afford to pay back each month.  

With this information you will be referred to the Private Landlord Liaison Officer (PLLO). They will work with you using your affordability to help look for properties to rent that are in your budget. (You can also look yourself, you do not have to rely on the PLLO to find a property)

When a property has been found we will work with you and a loan agreement can be written up and we will arrange a meeting for the loan agreement to be signed and the standing order form completed. 

If at any stage you have any questions just ask.

We are here to help

Tel: 01353 66 55 55
Email: housingservices@eastcambs.gov.uk