News Trust MBC with your property

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is urgently calling on landlords to come forward and take part in its Homefinder scheme to help provide housing to residents in the most need, people facing homelessness and those on the housing register in the borough.

Incentives for landlords to work with The Council include a one-off generous lump-sum payment for all types of properties and free extensive comprehensive landlord insurance.

A dedicated team work closely with all landlords and residents to match the most suitable prospective tenant to the property and support them throughout the length of the tenancy.

Cllr Simon Webb, Lead Member for Housing and Health at MBC said:

“The message is clear from us, trust us with your property and our Homefinder team will do all they can to support you and get the best out of your property.

“We are committed to securing quality homes across the borough for our homeless families, providing support to both landlords and residents to maintain and succeed in their tenancy, with a wide range of sizes, types and locations to suit a range of residents’ requirements.”

A new local landlord Rizwan Moledina who has recently worked with the Homefinder Team said:

“I have had a wonderful experience working with Sharon and the Homefinders team.  They have worked hard to prequalify likeminded tenants for this new block of apartments and conducted background checks to ensure affordability.

“They eased my anxieties with the guarantee insurance and the payment upfront, and I would have no hesitation in recommending working with the team who ensure a smooth end to end lettings process. Thank you!"

Other incentives include providing a bond in lieu of a deposit, a free specialist third-party inventory service, six monthly tenancy sustainment visits, reduced financial impact of ‘void periods’, free advertising and free tenant check-in and check-out. Each individual property must meet a set of MBC criteria in order to receive incentives.

Cllr Webb added:

“The aim is to reduce the burden on temporary accommodation and provide families with good quality, long-term sustainable housing.

“It is important we continue to work with private landlords who have property in and around the Maidstone area.  We are encouraging landlords who are interested in the scheme to contact MBC to find out more about the Homefinder scheme.”

For further information, please contact the Housing Team on: 01622 602252, or email: homefinders@maidstone.gov.uk.

This scheme is not related to the current humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the call for people to open their homes for these refugees, for more details on the government Homes for Ukraine please visit: https://homesforukraine.campaign.gov.uk/

There is also information about local support on the MBC website: https://maidstone.gov.uk/home/primary-services/community-support/tier-2-primary-areas/help-for-ukraine

ENDS

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