Bournemouth Borough Council loans for rent deposits

Funds may be provided to individuals at the discretion of the Bournemouth Borough Council, and for those that are eligible, up to one months worth of deposit costs can be paid in the form of a loan. In addition, the council will help individuals pay the equivalent of one months rent in advance, and the money will be issued to the owner of a private accommodation in the Council.

There are many eligibility criteria in place as part of this scheme and any assistance will only be issued in the form of a loan that will need to be repaid in monthly installments. The programme is available at the discretion of the council and the Housing Officers on site make an assessment based on need. Since funds are limited, the council will require the following in order to get help with a rent payment.

First, the applicant needs to be threatened with homelessness, and they need money in order to move into a new, more affordable flat or property. Or there may be help for those that are on the streets or sleeping rough. So the rent deposit scheme will also help the currently homeless in Bournemouth, and the individual will also gain the support of other council programmes.

The loan issued from the council will be interest free, so this will save the tenant a significant amount of money as they will not need to repay any additional charges and just need to cover the principal. For people that are eligible, the council will make a payment to the landlord for any rent deposit or in advance costs, and the person seeking assistance will not receive any money. This is done in an effort to combat fraud that some councils have been faced with in the past.

Process for receiving help from the scheme

All individuals that are interested will need to apply for the scheme, and there will be an interview with the housing options officer that also needs to take place. As noted, the money is solely at their discretion, but if they decide that someone is qualified, then the funds will be paid out in short order. The other key eligibility criteria for the rent deposit scheme are as follows.

• The applicant needs to have a connection to Bournemouth, and that can include work in the borough or live there.
• There is aid for the homeless, or those faced with eviction from their current home.
• They need to have no other source of funds for the rent deposit, whether from the government, a charity, or a family member.
• Sine the scheme is a loan, then the applicant needs to have some form of income to repay the money.
• All applicants need to be in priority need too, so this can be a pregnant women, the vulnerable, and others as defined by the Housing Act 1996.
• Proof of income, bank statements, any government benefits, and other information ins required by the Bournemouth Borough Council.

Two key terms of the scheme mentioned above include the applicant needs to meaningful permanent employment, and it can be either full or part time. This is key as the loan, while it is interest free, will need to be repaid, so there needs to be a source of income. Also, only people over the age of 16 are assisted with their rental deposits.

Before signing a tenancy agreement, the housing options officer needs to approve the property the landlord is letting to the family, the council needs to approve the monthly rent amount being charged, and ensure it is safe. So the scheme will only cover deposits on affordable homes that can be sustained over time.

The Customer Services Centre and the specialists at the location can provide more information on the scheme. The main council office is at St Stephens Road, Bournemouth, Dorset, BH2 6EB, or call the customer centre at 01202 451451.