The Renters’ Rights Bill provides an opportunity to deliver more support to tenants who have traditionally struggled to access housing in the private rented sector. Young people who have grown up in foster or residential care frequently struggle to access private rented properties. Most landlords demand rent upfront alongside a deposit which can be very difficult for care leavers to provide due to their low income and lack of familial financial support. Landlords can also require that there is someone who can act as a guarantor in the event of non-payment of rent which is again a significant challenge for young people who don’t have family members who can perform this role.
This amendment would provide a clear and practically applicable duty on local authorities to mirror some of the support that many parents give their adult children when they first move into their own property. It would make it significantly easier for young people to find a suitable and safe place to live when they first leave care reducing the risk of care leavers ending up in unsafe properties or homeless.