Rent Bond Guarantee Scheme
About the Scheme
The Rent Bond Guarantee Scheme aims to help people who urgently
need accommodation to access housing opportunities in the private
rented sector.
The Rent Bond Guarantee Scheme has been developed to assist
prospective tenants who may have difficulty accessing private
rented accommodation. This is often because they can't meet a
landlord's requirement for a cash deposit or because they are
reliant on Local Housing Allowance (Housing Benefit).
The 'Bond' is a guarantee underwritten by Perth and Kinross Council
which is issued as an alternative to a cash
deposit. The 'Bond' will have an equivalent value of 4 weeks
rent and is valid for a period of 12 months. During this
period, the tenant will be expected to save the money for the
deposit and transfer this to the landlord at the point when the
'Bond' expires. If the tenant has been unable to save the
money for the deposit, a 'Bond' may be re-issued for a further
period of 6 months.
Eligibility
The Rent Bond Guarantee Scheme has been designed to be flexible
so you may be eligible if you;
- are homeless or threatened with homelessness
- are living c/o friends or relatives
- do not have sufficient priority to be allocated a Council or
Housing Association property
- can't afford to pay the 'Bond' yourself
- are eligible for Local Housing Allowance
Applicants will be assessed according to their individual
circumstances. You do not need to meet all of the criteria
above in order to be eligible.
We will undertake various checks to ensure that you are able to
afford a private rented property and to ensure that you will be
able to sustain a tenancy either with or without support.
This may include contacting landlords in relation to any previous
tenancies that you may have had.
If it is established that you have outstanding rent arrears or a
history of anti-social behaviour in relation to a previous tenancy,
you may not be able to participate in the scheme.
Finding a Suitable Property
Generally, it is preferable for tenants to identify a
suitable property that they would like to rent with a landlord
who is prepared to participate in the scheme. We will be able
to assist with this however as we have a close working relationship
with many local landlords who regularly make their properties
available to us.
When a suitable property has been identified, we will visit the
property to ensure that it meets minimum standards. We will
also assist with the preparation of the inventory which will
provide an accurate account of the property's condition at the
start of the tenancy.
More Information?
If you would like more information about the scheme or if you
are interested in applying, please contact us using the details on
this page.
If you would like to subscribe to our mailing list to receive
details of future events, updates on issues affecting the private
rented sector and information about ways of working in partnership
with Perth and Kinross Council, please
contact us.
