Landlord FAQ’s

Yes we can! We have a large portfolio of potential tenants along with a dedicated team of Landlord Liaison Officers who will offer assistance in matching your requirements.

We support applicants with budgeting advice/cutting back on non-essential spending/maximising income (Where required).

We carefully assess applicant’s affordabilities by completing benefit calculators and income and expenditure forms. We will only match you with a household that can afford your property, as we would never want to set households up to fail or for a landlord to be owed rent arrears, so it is crucial from the start that we work out their affordability and that it is realistic to their individual circumstances.

We also complete a tenancy reference check with their current/former landlord (If they have previously rented a property) and will only nominate a household to you, if they have a positive tenancy reference, as we want to support with long-term sustainable tenancies.

We support a variety of households with housing advice. Some households will be working full-time and may not claim any assistance with their housing costs, whereas others may work part-time or claim full benefits.

Each household is assessed individually and has an agreed maximum affordability for their rental budget.

If you have a vacant property and are looking to rent this out to an applicant we are working with, please speak with us and we can advise you further.

The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate within Thanet as of 1 April 2024 is:

•  Shared room rate £87.45 per week / £378.95 per month
• 1 bedroom rate £132.98 per week / £576.25 per month
• 2 bedroom rate £172.60 per week / £747.93 per month
• 3 bedroom rate £207.12 per week / £897.52 per month
• 4 bedroom rate £264.66 per week / £1146.86 per month

The option of leasing properties from landlords is something we are currently exploring. Please speak with the Landlord Liaison Team further regarding any potential properties, so that we can assess if this is a viable option. If we are unable to lease, the team will speak to you about any alternative options to find a tenant for your property.

Yes, should you need any advice or support after a tenancy has been signed, you are welcome to contact the Landlord Liaison Team for further support. We would like for tenancies to be sustained on a long-term basis and are available for landlords to resolve any issues that may accrue.

If a landlord requires assistance from the Landlord Liaison Team with a tenant (Regardless of whether you have tenant-found yourself or worked with our team to tenant-find) we are available to offer you support.

We will speak to you to ascertain what the issue is and also speak to the tenant with the aim to resolve/mediate the issue.

We can also make referrals to the below agencies –

• Multi-Agency Task Force (MTF)
• Social Services
• Early Help
• Citizens Advice Thanet
• Christians Against Poverty
• Trading Standards
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax
• DWP
• Kent Fire and Rescue
• Mental Health
• Oasis Domestic Abuse
• Police
• As well as several other support organisations

If there are no tenancy sustainment options that can be explored &/or you require vacant possession please complete a referral form to our team.

We appreciate that sometimes circumstances change and landlords may need to regain their properties back for a variety of reasons. We can offer advice on ensuring any notice served is valid. 

We will work with households and offer them a Personalised Housing Plan to try and find them suitable and affordable alternative accommodation, in the hope you won’t have to seek a possession order or bailiff warrant. This may not always be possible, as it depends on whether the household will engage with us, however we will make every effort to encourage engagement.

No, we would never advise any tenant to withhold rent at any time. We explain to tenants their rental obligations, as well as the impact of failing to pay rent will have on their future renting prospects. In fact we encourage tenants to pay their rent, in full and on time, so that they have clear rent accounts and a positive tenancy reference.

No, we do not actively advocate that tenants wait in the property until they are evicted. We actively encourage tenants to work with us to find an alternative housing solution by offering a Personalised Housing Plan, housing advice, assistance with budgeting/ benefit entitlement and affordability, as well as offering assistance with property viewings and sending details of vacant properties to them.

We do have a duty as a Local Authority, to advise tenants of the possession process, the timeframe and the costs involved. We cannot force a tenant to vacate any property and there may be occasions where a landlord will need to seek possession of their property.

Yes we may be able to resolve the rent arrears issue. Please complete a referral form to our team.

If your tenant has had a change in personal circumstances or income, we may be able to assist by getting them back on track with a suitable and affordable repayment plan. In some circumstances we may be able to support with a Discretionary Housing Payment, either in the short term or with reducing/clearing rent arrears. We will need to check that the property is affordable in the long term and that your tenant’s circumstances will improve/the payment will prevent their risk of homelessness.

Please provide us with as much information as possible on the referral, along with a rent statement, so that we can assess how the arrears have accrued and what we may be able to do to help.