Neath Port Talbot landlords offered chance to lease properties to council to tackle homelessness

Private landlords in Neath Port Talbot will be able to let their property to a council in order to help tackle homelessness.

The council is the latest to join Leasing Scheme Wales, an initiative backed by the Welsh Government, which offers incentives for property owners who lease their properties to the local authority.

As part of the scheme, Port Talbot Council will lease properties from private sector landlords and sub-let the properties to those it has a duty to protect from homelessness.

Funding for the scheme is in place until 2032, with the target to lease a maximum of 82 properties in Neath Port Talbot by the end of March 2027.

A renovation incentive can also be offered to landlords where properties don’t meet minimum property standards or to improve the property’s Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating.

The renovation incentive will be a grant of up to £5,000, and higher incentives are also available for empy properties that are bought into the scheme.

Leasing Scheme Wales

Currently, fifteen local authorities are taking part in the leasing scheme Wales initiative.

These are:

Blaenau Gwent, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy,  Denbighshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Wrexham.

• To learn more about this scheme click here.
• To learn more about Leasing Scheme Wales click here.