Birmingham City Council is sending out invitations to all private landlords, to attend a free event where they will learn about the potential benefits of joining the West Midland's social lettings agency.

The City Council has formed a partnership with a lettings agency and between them have set up "Let to Birmingham". The agency will offer landlords a full service that will include matching them with suitable tenants, incentive schemes, property management and or let only.

The free event is taking place in September and the City Council is hoping to achieve a good proportion of Birmingham's private landlords signing up. They are confident that the information of the benefits of becoming involved in the social lettings agency, will help sway landlords in their favour.

Councillor John Cotton, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “We recognise the importance of the private rented sector in providing accommodation to help meet housing need and we want to work with landlords so that private renting is a viable and sustainable option for more people in the city.

 

“Let to Birmingham is great for landlords as it ensures a supply of prospective tenants seeking homes and offers support if there are any problems. The agency also helps residents with securing suitable housing that they might not have otherwise been able to get and reassurance that it will be good quality and well managed.  And for the council, Let to Birmingham helps us to find accommodation for people who approach us for help.”

Richard Merrick of  PIMS says: " Any Council wishing to encourage a working relationship with private landlords and offering incentives is excellent and makes a nice change from councils penalising landlords with a mandatory licensing scheme. In theory this agency will work for both sides however there is a caveat and this is that a large majority of tenants will be on benefits.

 

"If the City Council and its partner are going to pay the participating landlords' rent direct to them, then it offers a win/win scenario, dependant on how the agency will deal with problem tenants."