The Private Rented Sector in Leeds West Yorkshire

The Private Rented Sector in Leeds West Yorkshire is a phase of flux currently. There is declining demand from well-qualified individuals for rental properties and a rise in social housing enquiries (Housing Benefit)

We believe younger people who are still in full time employment are struggling to meet the costs of running their flat or house as utilities costs have risen substantially as have local taxes and water charges.

We suspect these younger workers have been returning to their parents homes where this is possible and giving up their rental properties.

This is likely to cause some social unrest within homes as the parents homes will inevitably become overcrowded.

This is bad news for the PRS as it is clear that this factor of declining affordability by 20 to 26 year olds in work will lead to greater numbers of DSS claimants applying for properties as they are soon to be the only source of tenant for rental properties.

Local Housing Allowance figures are already lower than previously and to be further capped in April 2011 but I believe the figures are still relatively generous and in many cases are still higher than the figure that could be realistically achieved in the open market for ordinary working people.

Changes to the Local Housing Allowance - LHA - will have dramatic effects upon claimants of all ages.

The current weekly Local Housing Allowance for individuals is £61.50 for under 35 year olds. Pity the poor 34 year old who has to find a rental rpoperty for £61.50 per week. The revised and lowered LHA is designed to encourage younger peoeple to share or go back home. Not a great option for older claimants.

We have always thought this is a skewed anomaly as, logically, the figure paid from the public purse for identical styles of property should not exceed the real market value of that rental property. Often it does.

We believe the future for this year 2012 and 2013 are very bleak and housing issues will become a major politcal and economic problem here in Leeds.

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