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A bond guarantee is available in the Dudley Borough to help with deposit payments on new private sector housing, and it is combined with other programmes too. The council and the housing options team will also help the resident locate housing, and even negotiate with the landlord on the tenants behalf. In addition, ongoing advice is available to ensure the family maintains their tenancy agreement over time as well.

The Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme comes with many criteria and eligibility requirements, and some of them are noted below. The housing team at the main council office can provide more details, and will assess whether an individual is eligible for a bond or not. If the applicant is not found qualified, then signposting is provided to other services that are local to the area.

Applicants will need to be unable to come up with the cash on their own, so they need to be on a low income and not have access to savings or family support. This information will be verified with council tax records and other sources too.

While priority will be for the homeless in Dudley, others that need assistance to resettle into more affordable accommodations also can apply. People do not need to be on the waiting list in order to apply.

The Dudley Council will not assist people that have been evicted in the past and that are constantly falling into rent arrears. The guarantee will be for families that have budgeted properly and tried to live independent. If the tenant is currently in arrears, but maybe they want to move to a more affordable home, then the housing team may help them enter into a payment plan for those unpaid housing costs, and this service is part of the scheme as well.

Many different age groups and residents of different backgrounds can apply. The scheme can help single people or couples on benefits. Also, lone parents may also apply to the Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme as well as elderly. So the council is flexible in who can apply, but of course they will need to meet all of the eligibility requirements.

Before applying, be sure that a home has not been selected yet, as the council will need to review thew proposed tenancy agreement. They will need to ensure the home is affordable as well as safe to live in. If the family or individual signed an agreement with the landlord, then the Dudley Council will not help the person.

Benefits of the Deposit Guarantee Scheme in Dudley

There are several things the council will do. All are focused on preventing homelessness. If a service is not listed below, the the housing team will do their best to find some other solution.

First, a bond is provided to the landlord, and this will be for the deposit costs as well as any rent arrears that may occur at the end of the tenancy agreement. The bond will also cover any damage that occurs to the home.

Then, the housing team from the council will provide both the tenant as well as the landlord with free advice. They will help the two parties address any disputes that occur, and try to find a solution that works for both groups.

The Dudley council will also assist the resident with applying for other government programmes. As an example, the Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme can be combined with housing benefits and other solutions. All of these steps, such as signposting, are done to help the low income that are threatened with homelessness.

The main centre is at Dudley Housing Office on 15 /17 St James’s Road. For more information, residents can ring 01384 815108.