Following my post last weekend about the potential risk to tenants renting in Reading's substantial buy-to-let market, this week's Reading Chronicle has taken up the story.
In the article, a spokesperson for the Council acknowledges this worrying fact:
“Over the past six months, there has been an increase in the number of people seeking assistance from the council because their property is being repossessed from their landlord."
On Friday, as a result of the article, I took a call from the National Landlords Association keen to lobby, sorry, brief me about the issue.
While it's understandable that the Chief Executive and senior officers might have other things on their mind at the moment, the lack of formal response I have received to my questions on this subject is disappointing. I have written to RBC again today to try and get a response.
The issue will no doubt come up in discussions we will be having on Thursday evening at a meeting of the Housing, Health and Community Care Scrutiny Panel. The meeting is open to the public and will be held at 6.30pm in the Kennet Room at the Civic Centre.
As usual we have a packed agenda with a number of interest items up for discussion which I will be blogging about over the coming days, Council meetings etc permitting!
UPDATE:
I have today (2 March) received the following response from the Council:
"In situations where tenants are impacted on by their landlord’s failure to pay the mortgage the Council’s Housing Advice Service assist by negotiating for time, if possible, and helping to find alternative accommodation (including use of the Deposit Guarantee Scheme).
Cases such as these have always occurred, but we have seen a small increase in the last few months (most of whom we have been able to help with a deposit guarantee into another home). The new legislation, coming into effect in April 2009, will help by ensuring that notification of a hearing for a Possession Order will go to the ‘occupier’ as well as the mortgagee. This will provide more notice for the tenant and is an improvement on the current situation where notice only goes to the ‘occupier’ at the Bailiff’s stage.
Please be assured that we are doing all we can to support landlords and tenants in difficulty and encourage them to contact us as soon as concerns or problems arise."
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