Where to find vacancies
Estate agents and lettings agents
These agencies advertise and let out properties on behalf of private landlords. A full list of estate agents and lettings agencies can be found in the yellow pages. The Friday edition of the Lancashire Evening Post carries most property adverts.
There are several websites which offer combined listings of rented property from agencies .
Individual Landlords
Some landlords contact Housing Advice with details of vacancies they have, and we then inform interested applicants about these properties . Landlords also advertise in shop windows and the Lancashire Evening Post.
What will I need?
References
Typically an agency or an individual landlord will want written references from an employer or an agency professional who can provide some background information about you. It's worth getting these prepared in advance of finding a landlord willing to offer a property.
Deposits
Landlords and letting agencies often ask for a deposit as a condition of offering a tenancy. This is usually equal to 1 months rent. The deposit is held as against damage or cleaning required at the end of the tenancy. All cash deposits now have to be placed by law by the landlord in one of 3 national schemes. Any disagreement about the amount of deposit returned can by dealt with by arbitration.
Failure to register deposits and or provide details about the registration in accordance with the legislation prevents the landlord from using certain eviction procedures and potentially entitles the tenant to make a court claim for 3 times the deposit paid.
Rent in advance
As a further security landlords may ask for a months rent in advance, as well as a deposit. Some people have successfully applied for a social fund loan for rent in advance. The advice service cannot help with cash payments for rent in advance nor can we pay for the administrative charges that the landlord may charge to set up the tenancy and to do credit checks.
Housing Advice can in some cases help with offering a letter of guarantee instead of a cash bond. Many private landlords have accepted this arrangement and we have housed a number of clients in the private sector this way. If you need help with obtaining private rented housing please contact us so can tell you what help we can give you.
Advice on the tenancy?
If you don’t understand the terms of a tenancy or are concerned about the property please contact us for advice.
Why private rented?
Choice and availability
Compared to housing association property, private rented housing can be a lot quicker to obtain. There are no waiting lists or points systems to deal with and households are not necessarily restricted to choosing a particular size or type of housing, which is the case with housing association allocation rules.
Security
Typically most landlords offer a 6 or 12 month assured shorthold tenancy. If no notice is served the tenancy continues month to month after the fixed term until a notice to quit is served, so there is generally less security with an assured shorthold tenancy than with housing association property.
Notice to Quit
Tenancies have to be brought to an end in accordance with the law and housing advice can advise landlords and tenants about the notice procedure.
Private rents are often higher than housing association rents, but depending on income local housing allowance may be claimed to help pay the rent. The current maximum allowance for a 2 bed property in Preston is £114.23 per week .
Condition of property
If you are in a private rented property and you are concerned about the condition of the property, we can advise about what the landlords duties to repair and maintain are. In serious cases the Housing Standards team visit problem properties and can take enforcement action to require landlords to complete essential work
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