Housing services

Tender description

The purpose of this PIN is to determine the level of interest in the provision of a Private Sector Leasing Scheme. This is not an opportunity to bid but to note interest to allow ELC to determine the size of the market, identify appropriate route to market and inform its strategy. It is not a call for competition. The Private Sector Leasing (PSL) scheme provides tenancies as part of East Lothian Councils' response to tackling homelessness. The properties are leased, from the private rented sector to the Council, through the contracted Provider. The Provider will be responsible for all housing and property management functions such as sourcing suitable properties, agreeing leases, letting the properties and maintenance of the properties during the tenancy period. ELC currently has around 120 (max) leased properties across East Lothian. The provider must ensure a stock of private rented property in East Lothian to enable the Council to provide temporary accommodation for people threatened with homelessness or experiencing homelessness and will utilise the private rented sector to complement the existing temporary/medium stay accommodation. The key objectives of the PSL Scheme are to significantly reduce the use and time spent in B&B accommodation for homeless households; to procure and manage accommodation from the private rented market for Housing Service customers and to widen the range of short and medium term housing options for Housing Service customers. The key tasks undertaken by the provider are to lease properties from landlords in the private rented market and sub-let to homeless households or other Housing Service customers; undertake the procurement of these properties and provide the property and tenancy/occupancy management service for these properties; to let procured properties to customers referred by the Housing Service; to guarantee rents to the landlord during the period of the lease, to provide or make available a tenancy/occupancy support service as required; to ensure properties are returned to the landlord in the same condition (or better) with vacant possession or the lease renewed and to arrange for the provision of Tenancies for Housing Service customers who are housed through the scheme.