We can offer help with:
- Rent in Advance ( maximum 1 months rent)
- Cash Deposits ( maximum 5 weeks rent)
- Holding fees (maximum 1 weeks rent). This is only available if the council has accepted a homeless duty towards you
All payments are made as loans which must be repaid to the Council. We will advise you on the options for repayment at interview.
Qualification Criteria.
You must meet all of the following:
1. Be eligible (this means entitled to public assistance with housing, and have the Right to Rent)
2. Be accepted by Craven District Council as homeless or threatened with homelessness and a homeless duty is owed. OR
Be assessed as in housing need, currently live in Craven and have done so for the last six months.
3. Not be able to raise your own bond or rent in advance e.g. through savings, taking out a personal loan, credit union loan or Discretionary Housing Payments. Applicants with savings of more than £1,000 are not eligible for the scheme unless they are willing to match fund with the Council
How do I apply?
You will need to attend a Housing Options interview to discuss your circumstances. We will look at all of your housing options, and whether or not we can help you stay in your current property. If we agree that a move is the best solution, then you need to make a formal application when you have found a property.
Do not commit to renting a property or move in before your application is approved.
If you have rent arrears or a history of causing damage or anti-social behaviour you may not qualify for a bond. We also need to be sure that you can manage a tenancy with or without support and we may contact your current or previous landlord and other agencies that may be supporting you.
If you do not qualify for financial help through the Bond Scheme, we will give advice on other options available
Finding a suitable property.
The property must be:
- Affordable. If the rent is higher than local housing allowance then we will carry out a financial assessment to see if you can afford to pay the top-up.
- The right size for your household
- Meet minimum fitness standards
- Be available for at least 6 months.
The government has produced two handy guides for people looking to rent. We recommend that you look at these to assist with your search.
How To Rent gives advice on your rights and responsibilities as a tenant and what to look out for when viewing a property. You can download this here
How to Rent a Safe Home gives detailed advice about the main hazards you could find in a rental property which may not make it safe to rent. You can download this here.