Huntingdonshire district council

(skip to content)

Rental Deposit Scheme


Have you found a place to rent but can’t afford the rent in advance and/or the deposit?
Maybe we can help.

Do you:

  • Live in Huntingdonshire District
  • or need to move here to start a job, or care for a relative, or be cared for by a relative or friend?
  • Have a low income?
  • Have a good tenancy record?
  • Have no debts with any other landlord?
  • Have a reasonable credit history?

If you can answer yes to all these questions please continue down the page to find out how the scheme works and how to make an application. If you are not sure whether you qualify or if you have yet to find somewhere to rent, call at Housing Reception on the first floor of Pathfinder House and ask to speak to the scheme administrator or telephone:
01480 388226 or 01480 388237.

 

About the loan scheme


Good quality privately-rented accommodation is available throughout Huntingdonshire district. We want to help more low-income individuals and families to take up private sector tenancies, but landlords will normally want to be paid one month’s rent in advance plus a deposit against breakage and damage, and we know that this kind of money is often difficult to find. This is why we have introduced the loan scheme.

If you qualify under the scheme, you may borrow an amount to cover the rent in advance and/or the rent deposit. The loan is made interest free and can be paid back over 12 months. As from 6th April 2007 new legislation came into force.  Deposits taken after this date have to be held in either a custodial or insurance based deposit scheme.  Alternatively, if your landlord agrees, the deposit may be lodged with us at the Council and your landlord issued with a deposit guarantee or bond. The advantage to you of the bond is that it keeps down the amount you need to borrow.

We want you to be able to take on a tenancy you can afford to maintain, and we want you to be able to pay the loan back without stretching your budget too far. We also want the people we help with a loan to be seen by landlords as good tenants. This way landlords will be encouraged to make more property available to low income households. For these reasons not all people who want a loan will qualify for one. These are our rules:

 

  • The scheme is open to any Huntingdonshire resident on a low income or anyone who needs to move to the district to start work or care for a relative or be cared for by a relative or friend.
  • You should have found accommodation before you apply for a loan. (If you have not yet found a place you are advised to speak first to the scheme administrator. A few words of advice before you go looking could save you a lot of bother later!)
  • You must be over 16 on the date you apply. If you are under 18 someone must be your guarantor. (This means someone must sign to say they will repay the loan for you if you cannot or if you fail to.)
  • You should intend to live in the accommodation as your only home. It must be suitable for your needs, that is, it should be of reasonable condition and quality and not have too many or too few rooms. (We’ll tell you more about rooms later). The rent should be reasonable. (We may want to check on this.)
  • Our money advisor will need to be satisfied that you can afford the rent, so we will want to run through an income-check with you.  We will arrange this for you.
    If the income-check indicates you may be entitled to claim housing benefit, we will normally expect you to fill out a pre-tenancy determination (PTD) application form. A PTD will tell you the maximum rate of housing benefit you may receive. You can download a copy of this form from the link on the right.

(Please note: the income check and the PTD is only a guide and it does not guarantee that all or any of your rent will be met from housing benefit. This can only be decided when a valid housing benefit claim has been determined after you have taken up the tenancy.)

  • Our money advisor will need to agree you can afford the loan repayments.
  • If you have rented property before, you should have a good tenancy record. You should have a reasonable credit history. You should not owe any money to Huntingdonshire District Council or any social landlord such as a housing association. To protect public funds, we will need to run checks which may include a credit check.
  • The loan budget is limited and may need to be closed from time to time if funds run out. For this reason if you qualify this is not necessarily a guarantee that a loan will be made, but we will always let you know the position at the earliest stage.


You can download an application form and a leaflet about the scheme from the link on the right.