Has The Brexit Vote Saved London Tenants £1,800 pa In Rent?

Tenants in London have saved as much as £1,800 in rent as a result of the Brexit referendum in 2016, according to an analysis of more than 100,000 rental properties listed on the Zoopla property website. Rent price growth in London is almost 3% lower than the projected rate of growth since the EU referendum announcement, leaving tenants with more money at the end of the month. Outside of London, rents have been firmer, with the Midlands recording the highest rates of increase, the company’s Landbay rental index shows. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/jan/14/has-the-brexit-vote-saved-london-tenants-1800-pa-in-rent

Housing Association Secures Refunds for 788 Bedroom Tax Tenants

A Kent housing association has used its unique ‘unregistered’ status to secure 788 tenants bedroom tax refunds worth in total more than £500,000. MHS Homes, which owns 8,500 homes, used a loophole to persuade Medway Council to reverse the benefit cut imposed on tenants deemed to have spare rooms. MHS was able to exempt its tenants from the bedroom tax because although it is a large scale voluntary transfer (LSVT) association, it is unusual in not being registered as a provider with the HCA. Because of MHS’s LSVT status, its tenants are also exempt from local housing allowance restrictions (LHA). It is the only landlord in the country whose tenants are exempt from both bedroom tax and LHA limits. Read more on Inside Housing.

The Benefits of Helping Tenants Get Online

Here are some of the benefits getting tenants online can have for themselves, and your organisation:

1)      Social Inclusion - With so many people online, and the online world presenting a great source of communication, it can be hard for those who are not online to feel included. Did you know 4 in 5 older people say computer literacy makes them feel more included in a modern world?

2)      Easier Communication - With the Internet and online world comes social media.  A great communication tool that provides almost instantaneous responses from people all over the world. Rather than spending half an hour on the phone to get a simple question answered people can message, email or even tweet people for a faster and cheaper response.

3)      Saving Money - Did you know paying bills and shopping online could save the average person £130 per year? Teaching the people you work with how to use the Internet so that they can find vouchers, search the best prices and have a faster and more efficient way of paying bills surely not only benefits them but also yourselves.

Read more on the Support Solutions blog.