Rent Deposit Schemes (RDSs) help low-income individuals, who cannot afford the initial outlay of an advance rent and deposit payment, to access homes in the PRS.
If you need assistance in renting a property - or are a landlord looking to let your property - please see the searchable list of
private rented sector schemes produced in collaboration with
London Housing Foundation (LHF) and
Resource Information Service (RIS). This contains details of schemes throughout the UK and is searchable by the name of the local authority where they are based. The exact nature of the schemes detailed vary depending on the local area, housing market and whether it is run by the local authority housing department or a local voluntary agency.
Deposit schemes work by offering landlords a cash deposit, bond or guarantee and they often pay the first month’s rent as well. Where they operate, RDSs can be highly effective in preventing or tackling homelessness.
Research by London Councils (formerly Association of London Government) into homelessness prevention initiatives in London found that rent deposit schemes were among the most successful initiatives.
There are many RDSs across London and the country. The majority are run or commissioned by Local Authorities, and most of these focus their resources on statutory homeless groups (such as families), and provide more limited support to non-statutory homeless individuals.
There are also many RDSs that are not funded by Local Authorities, and which are more likely to support non-statutory homeless people. Crisis SmartMove is a best practice model for RDSs that work specifically with non-statutory homeless groups.
What this means is that even with the range of provision that exists, it is not universal. Not everyone in a vulnerable situation who could be prevented from becoming homeless through a RDS can actually access support from one. It will often depend on whether there is a voluntary scheme in your borough/region.