Crisis over rented homes is looming

PRIVATE landlords have warned that a local housing crisis in 1066 Country may be just around the corner, and likely to affect thousands of welfare claimants in Bexhill, Hastings, Battle and Rye.

About half of the 100 or more members of the Hastings and Rother branch of the National Landlords’ Association revealed that they are ready to ditch housing benefit claimants in the future, largely due to benefit cheats pocketing their monthly rent cheques from the town hall.

Other landlords told a recent meeting at Manor Barn, Bexhill, that next year’s proposed government cuts in rent allowances would be the final straw, drastically reducing the number of flats and houses available to rent.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

An estimated 62 per cent of landlords nationwide have already told ministers they will no longer accept benefit claimants unless the traditional system of rent payment, enabling new benefit applicants to tick a box to pay the monthly allowance direct to the landlord, is restored.

One of the last government’s final acts was to direct all rent allowances to the tenant, encouraging him or her to be more responsible for handling their money.

But one Hastings landlord said: “I have 18 properties let to benefit claimants and it has proved disastrous.” Another said: “Some dishonest people are spending taxpayers’ money intended for the roof over their heads. If landlords now boycott benefit claimants, honest applicants will suffer.”

Martin Bolton, spearheading a new Rother District Council landlord link scheme, promised closer liaison with the private letting sector. And Phil Oakley said his Brighton Housing Trust, shortly expanding into the Hastings area, already had 20 plus applicants for every vacant tenancy.

Other speakers quoted homelessness figures doubling in much of East Sussex.