UK Bill Help

For residents of the City of Preston that meet eligibility conditions, the PBS Bond Scheme is one source of assistance. The council will help the family or individual on a low income pay for up to 6 months of the fees and rent that is due. This will also address any deposit that is due to the landlord of the private housing.

There are several components to PBS. The bond from the council will of course help with the rent deposits, but they offer much more as well. The Housing Advisory Service team from the Preston Council will offer ongoing advice. This will tackle any problems the tenant is faced with, whether it is lack of employment or excessive debts. Property owners will also benefit, provided they are enrolled into the Preston Accredited Landlords Scheme (PALS).

Financial help from City of Preston scheme

Cash will not be issued to the client. Rather, PBS is a bond that acts like a form of insurance. The landlord needs to agree to accept it as well, and the prospective tenant needs to meet all of the conditions in place.

For those that are eligible, the council will assist with up to 6 months worth of move in costs. In order to receive this bond, the tenant will need to agree to save a portion of their income as they will need to take of the payments after as long as six months.

Also, the flat or home selected in the private market needs to be suitable to live in. This means that it needs to be both safe and affordable. The Preston borough council will also need to review the tenancy agreement before it is signed by the landlord or renter. All of these criteria need to be approved by the council team.

The bond funding is limited, so priority is for single people, couples with children, and the homeless. However the Preston council will assess each application on merit, and other people may also receive assistance from the scheme. Tenants threatened with homeless that need to resettle may also be a priority. Any decision is solely at their discretion.

Housing advice from Preston council

Anyone that needs to seek a home in Preston can get support with this. The Preston Housing Advisory Services has a register that is free to use. It has information on accredited landlords who have agreed to participate in the deposit bond scheme. The council will try to refer a resident to the landlord that has a home for their needs.

The housing team does not just want to help the tenant move in, then not support them so they are just evicted at some future date. So other assistance is available, mostly in the form of free advice and mediation.

Low income residents of Preston can get advice on a wide array of landlord tenant matters. They can also get help in applying for benefits or the Local Housing Allowance, among other programmes. This support will available to the family all during the tenancy.

The Preston Housing Advisory Service is located at the Town Hall, Lancaster Road, Preston, PR1 2RL. The main phone number to the scheme is 01772 906 900.