Perth and Kinross deposit and rent in advance assistance

Bond guarantees can be used at most once every 12 months in Perth and Kinross to pay for the deposit on private rented housing. This form of council assistance is used instead of cash. While it will not pay the total deposit that the landlord may require, the bond can still be used as a form of payment.

The assistance is for both the homeless that are seeking new accommodations and it can also be used to resettle a family into a new home if they are threatened with an eviction. Residents of all backgrounds can get help, including single people, the disabled, and lone parents. This can also help pay a deposit for those residents of Perth and Kinross that can’t access social housing due to the lack of units offered.

If a family local to the Perth and Kinross district is not eligible, then the Citizens Advice Bureau can provide them with advice on other housing options. So there are various homeless solutions available in the district.

How to get deposit help in Perth and Kinross

The bond scheme can only be used for private rented accommodations. The aim is to provides families or individuals more options, as there is just not enough social housing available in the district. It will in effect give the resident up to 12 months, and during that time they will need a payment arrangement to repay the deposit in full. It also encourages landlords to rent their property as they can make a claim against the bond guarantee at any time.

The Housing Specialist at the local council can refer an applicant to a property that may be available, but there is no guarantee to a landlord agreeing to the scheme. They are under no obligation to provide this support, but there is an appeal process in place.

Deposit help is only provided for a property that has an affordable weekly rent. When applying for a bond, the applicant needs to provide the address of the property, contact details for the letting agent, and the contact information on the landlord.

If the Perth and Kinross resident identified with anti social behavior issues in the past, or they owe rent on their past housing, then they will not be eligible. If a family has a past history of having a difficult tenancy arrangements in the past then the local authorities will not help them as they would be considered a high risk for this bond guarantee.

Financial help from the bond

No cash is provided. The bond is a form of guarantee that extends up to 12 months, and it will cover any damage from renting to the tenant as well as rent arrears. The total amount of assistance that the Perth and Kinross council may provide is up to 4 weeks worth of rental expenses. If the deposit amount is higher than that, the the family will need to come up with that extra money on their own.

The bond guarantee will last up to 12 months. During this time, the tenant will need to save or raise money to take over the deposit at the end of the 12 months. The authorities will recommend that someone save about 1/12 of the amount each month; so they should slowly but surely raise the cash they need. This is more effective than trying to cram it all within the last few weeks.

For more information, there are three places where people should go in the Perth and Kinross district. They include the Homeless Assessment Team, the Private Sector Access Team (phone number 01738 474544) and/or the local area housing office. Both of these centres will have staff on site that can signpost the person to an application site.