A council that uses private sector rental accommodation to help it meet it’s homelessness obligations is criticising landlords faced with higher costs.

Dartford council claims landlords are either selling up or hiking the rent they charge the council for flats and houses used as emergency accommodation.

The council says some are asking to increase rent by up to £600 per month.

A report on the Kent Live news website says the Dartford area’s private rental has shrunk over the last year – especially for larger properties- just as there’s been an increase in homeless applications.

A paper produced for councillors also suggests there’s been an increase in homelessness applications from outside the area.

There is already a private short term leasing scheme run by the council which enables privately owned properties to be rented directly by the council, but the landlords in the scheme have fallen in number over the past 12 months as more have sold up.

Those that remain say they can achieve many hundreds of pounds more on the open rental market than by sticking with the council’s uncompetitive rent offer.

Kent Live says: “A Dartford council spokesperson confirmed the average they currently pay landlords per property is £1,020. It means some landlords could be asking for almost 60% more money than they already get.”

You can read the full story here: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/news/everybody-s-struggling-then-landlords-go-and-hike-the-ren-319515/