When you rent a property in the private property market it is usual to have to pay a deposit up front to the landlord or agency and sometimes this can be a challenge to find.
We can arrange to lend you the money for the deposit, to remove this as a barrier for people who might face homelessness.
You will need to pay this back, but we will make sure that it is at a rate that you can afford.
To be eligible for the rent deposit scheme you must be either homeless or facing homelessness. You can find out more on our facing homelessness page.
You will need to book an appointment with one of our housing officers, who will go through your situation with you. Call 01353 665555 to make an appointment.
If we agree that you are homeless or facing homelessness and that private rent with the rent deposit scheme is one of your options, your housing officer will complete an income and expenditure assessment as below.
We will do an income and expenditure assessment with you. You can read all about how that works and what you will need to supply on the income and expenditure page.
If we agree you are eligible and lending you money for your rent deposit is the best option for you, a loan and repayment amount will be agreed in principle.
We will then complete an Experian record check of the electoral roll to confirm addresses.
The record check may also pick up any county court judgements (CCJs). If these checks reveal anything that you did not tell us about at interview, a full credit check can be completed under Section 29 of the Data Protection Act 1998, for the prevention or detection of crime (fraud).
When all checks have been completed we will contact you to let you know if you are successful and we will send you details of what you can afford to borrow, as well as how much you can afford to pay back each month.
With this information you will need to look for properties to rent that are within your budget.
When a property has been found, a loan agreement will be written up and we will arrange a meeting for the loan agreement to be signed and the standing order form completed.
If at any stage you have any questions just ask. We are here to help.
Telephone: 01353 665555
Email: housingservices@eastcambs.gov.uk