You can find more information here.
For the first time, Rentplus is offering affordable rent to buy homes in Northumberland, in partnership with Northumberland County Council.
Five 3 bed houses and four 2 bed apartments are to be offered for sale through the affordable rent to buy scheme in Tantallon Fields, Longframlington. They are built by Northumberland based developer, Tantallon Homes.
Rentplus removes the need for an upfront deposit for aspirant homeowners. Tenants move into the house they will buy. They pay no initial deposit and pay an affordable rent (which includes all repairs and service charges) for between 5 and 20 years whilst they save. When they are ready to buy, they receive a gifted sum of 10% from Rentplus towards their savings, and unlike Shared Ownership and other schemes such as First Homes, tenants will be buying 100% of their home.
Steve Collins, CEO of Rentplus explains why Rentplus is needed: “With the average semi-detached and terraced house price for buyers in Longframlington between £181,000 and £389,000, key and essential workers and other first time buyers on lower or middle incomes are locked out of home ownership as they are unable to save enough for a deposit, even though they could afford mortgage repayments.
“Our affordable rent to buy homes provide a much more accessible route onto the housing ladder for those on lower and middle incomes than Shared Ownership as it doesn’t require any upfront deposit. Our scheme completely removes the deposit barrier, opening up home ownership to renters living or working in the area.
“Rentplus turns local renters into homeowners.”
Northumberland County Councillor Colin Horncastle, cabinet member for Looking after the Environment added: “It is wonderful to see these quality new homes being provided to help local people move towards home ownership.
“We know many people aspire to buy their own home but are unable to save up enough for a deposit as their wages are absorbed with rent and bills.
“It’s a vicious cycle.
“The Rentplus model is unique, and forward thinking and is another boost for affordable housing in Northumberland which will be life changing for those tenants who move into these properties.”
Developer Craig McClenn commented: “Tantallon Homes are proud to work in partnership with Rentplus to provide high quality affordable housing in the stunning village of Longframlington.
“It is very important to Tantallon Homes that local people have access to a mixture of tenure properties that are within budget not only in the initial rental or mortgage costs but also going forward with monthly utility and maintenance expenses. All our properties are built to a high standard and incorporate and comply with the latest energy efficiency products and regulations.”
Funded by institutional investment, new homes are bought from developers either as part of their affordable housing agreement or outside of it. By injecting additional private funding into the affordable housing sector, councils can focus existing grant funding on delivering more homes for social rent.
Nearly 60 local authorities are already offering Rentplus across the country with the majority of Rentplus residents being key or essential workers. All have a local connection, living and working locally. The first tenants moved into homes in the south west in 2016 and in 2021, all the homes in the five year plan were purchased by residents, buying 100% of their home. When the 10% sum from Rentplus was added to their savings, some had over 20% equity in their home from day one,
Rentplus is currently working to identify more new developments in Northumberland to offer more affordable rent to buy homes.
To register an interest or find out more about the Rentplus affordable rent to buy homes in Longframlington, email [email protected].
Are you looking for a home in Wisbech?
Rentplus now has two 2-bed properties and three 3-bed properties now available in Wisbech, with affordable rents between £620pcm and £740pcm. Move in with no deposit – you must have a connection to the local area such as work, family or currently living there. Have the option to purchase your home between year 5 and 20 with a 10% gifted sum from Rentplus.
Download the PDF brochure here.
To register your interest please email [email protected] or call 01908 738464.
Full-time Housing Officer based in Milton Keynes (hybrid working available)
We are looking for a passionate and dedicated Housing Officer to join us on this exciting adventure! If you’re passionate about great customer service, making a positive impact, enjoy working in a dynamic environment, and are excited about the prospect of helping others achieve their homeownership dreams, we’d love to hear from you.
As a Housing Officer, you will play a pivotal role in managing housing-related services by assessing needs, facilitating accommodation allocation with contractors, ensuring compliance with tenancy agreements, addressing anti-social behaviour, and contributing to the overall well-being of the community. This position requires a strong blend of customer service, business management, administrative, and interpersonal skills.
View the full job specification here.
Application close 31st August 2023. To apply, please email your CV to [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!
Do you dream of owning your own home in Wisbech but unable to save a deposit? Saving for a deposit can seem like the most difficult part of buying a house. Rentplus has a solution that might be right for you.
We are very excited to announce our newest scheme. We have newly built properties on a beautiful new development in Wisbech. There will be 23 Rentplus affordable rent to buy homes: initially, just 4 are available with the rest to follow.
Rentplus is designed for individuals and families who aspire to home ownership. Prospective applicants must be employed, pursuing education or training, and demonstrate a strong desire to purchase their own home. Successful applicants move into a brand new home and no deposit is required when you move in, just one month’s rent in advance.
For the first five years, tenants pay a subsidised affordable rent, or the Local Housing Allowance if lower. Rent includes all service charges and repairs and are set in consultation with the council. They are typically 20% cheaper than local open market rents. This allows people time to clear debts, build a strong credit rating and start to save to buy their home.
When tenants buy, Rentplus gifts 10% of the market value towards your savings. And our aspirant homeowners are buying 100% of your home – no staircasing or additional fees, unlike shared ownership and other schemes.
The first phase becoming available is;
2 x 2-bedroom houses
2 x 3-bedroom houses
We allow under-occupation by one bedroom.
The priority order for allocation is;
1. Existing Social Housing tenants living in the Fenland district area/ and those households who are at risk of homelessness
2. Applicants currently on the Council’s housing register
3. Applicants eligible for housing who have a local connection to The Council district.
Applications from Key and Essential workers or Armed Forces personnel are welcomed.
Please register your interest by emailing [email protected] or calling 01908 738464. For more information, please see our PDF flyer here.
The startling revelation that two thirds of UK councils built no new housing last year is a wake-up call for all of us invested in resolving the housing crisis. Over 1.2 million families are currently waiting on council lists for a place to call home. Despite this pressing need, it seems housing development continues to stall due to funding constraints and financial restrictions.
In this context, Rentplus is uniquely positioned to help. We are backed by institutional funding which allows us to partner with councils and housing associations to deliver affordable rent-to-buy homes. Our model offers a viable and immediate solution to accelerate the delivery of much-needed housing.
Just weeks ago, it was reported that £1.9bn, intended to combat England’s housing crisis, was returned unused to the Treasury. We must question the disconnect between the pressing need for homes and the availability of funds. It is imperative that these resources are effectively channelled into sustainable housing solutions.
The Local Government Association’s call for a “genuine renaissance in council house building” echoes our vision at Rentplus. We fully support the creation of a national task force to back councils in their efforts to provide homes. The retention of receipts from Help to Buy could potentially provide a useful source of funding to further this aim.
Now is the time to shift from conversation to action. At Rentplus, we are ready to engage in partnerships that can effectively utilise available funding, deliver affordable homes, and make a significant difference to those waiting for a home. Let’s build a brighter, more secure housing future together.
#HousingCrisis #AffordableHousing #Rentplus #LocalGovernment #HousingSolutions
For the first time, Rentplus is offering affordable rent to buy in Northumberland.
There are new affordable rent to buy homes in Longframlington: 5×3 bed houses and 4x 2 bed apartments
RENTS BETWEEN £560pcm and £740pcm
Move in with £0 deposit and have the option to buy between years 5 and 20 with a 10% gifted sum from Rentplus.
Rentplus-UK is proud to offer affordable rent to buy homes in Northumberland, in partnership with Northumberland County Council. The homes consist of five 3 bed houses and four 2 bed apartments. The site is located in Tantallon Fields, Longframlington, Northumberland. Longframlington is a small village which is well connected via the A1 running north to south, it sits eight miles from the Northumberland coastline with access to many tourist villages and towns.
More information, including how to register here
In a first for Bolsover, 14 households have the opportunity to move from being renters to homeowners, thanks to an unique affordable rent to buy homes scheme offered by Rentplus-UK Ltd and Bolsover District Council working together.
On Friday 17 March, local councillors and MP Mark Fletcher met on the Jones Homes site in Oxcroft Lane to celebrate the new partnership which offers an affordable pathway to homeownership for working families on low or middle incomes. It benefits those unable to save the large deposits required to access other types of housing, including shared ownership and Help to Buy which need 5-10% deposits often amounting to £15,000-£30,000 plus fees. One of the benefits to Rentplus is that poor historic credit is by no means a barrier to acceptance as tenants have a minimum of five years to be able to rebuild their credit history.
Residents move into a brand new home without having to pay an initial deposit. They pay an affordable rent for the duration of their lease which run for a minimum of 5 years and up to 20 years, giving residents time to clear debts and save towards a deposit. At year 5 and at key points during their lease, residents can purchase the property, and Rentplus gifts them 10% of the purchase price towards their savings for their mortgage deposit.
The Bolsover scheme is the first time that Rentplus has worked with Bolsover District Council and house builder, Jones Homes. For Rentplus, the partnership marks another big step in the journey to deliver its award-winning affordable rent-to-buy homes in every English county.
Rentplus is funded by institutional investors, providing affordable rent-to-buy homes with no grant or public subsidy. Properties are usually managed by local housing associations, or the local authority, or Rentplus Homes, a subsidiary of Rentplus-UK. Partners benefit from having an extended tenure offer and increased rental income from the homes.
The successful applicants all have a local connection and were taken from the Bolsover Housing Choice Based Lettings scheme. Most are Key and Essential workers, including social care and NHS staff, enabling them to continue to live and work locally.
Robin Falle, National Director at Rentplus commented: “We’re very excited to be working with Bolsover District Council and to see this offered in Derbyshire. We’re determined to make Rentplus available across every county in the country.”
“Raising a deposit has become the biggest barrier to home ownership – even a 5% deposit is beyond the realms of possibility for those people in society we have come to rely on – our NHS workers, our teachers, our emergency service personnel. Unless they have access to the bank of mum and dad, if they are renting privately, they are unlikely to be able to scrape together the £15,000-£30,000 demanded by high street lenders.
“Moving into a brand new home without paying a deposit, paying affordable rent for five years plus is a real opportunity to save, build a good credit rating and begin to engage with the community.
“Being gifted 10% of the sale price towards the deposit when they’re ready to buy is an added benefit and incentive”.
Cllr Rose Bowler from Bolsover District Council added: “This is our first project with Rentplus and we are delighted to be able to offer this unique route to homeownership.
“Not only will it extend the tenure of properties we offer, but we are now part of an unique nationwide offer, which is going to benefit our key workers and others less able to raise the deposit but able to afford the rent and mortgage.”
“We want to ensure that the delivery of new housing for local people and those moving to the town includes a range of different tenures and price points. Sustainable housing is being built across the district for private sale and affordable housing, including social rent, shared ownership and this new affordable rent to buy scheme with Rentplus. Giving people the ability to rent their home with the option to buy is incredibly important and we’re pleased this agreement with Rentplus is in place.”
“I am delighted to see these new properties made available through the Rentplus scheme which will make them more affordable and more accessible to our new residents.”
Local MP Mark Fletcher added: “Affordable housing and helping local people onto the housing ladder was one of my priorities when I stood for election and I am delighted to have seen this Rentplus scheme today and to have them in Bolsover.
“Bolsover District Council members and staff share a passion with me to help people achieve their homeownership dreams in this amazing part of the world. Having Rentplus here to remove the deposit barrier and help local people become homeowners is a very positive step.”
A tree, part of the Rentplus commitment to the late Queen’s Jubilee Canopy, is to be planted on site.
In a first for Mid Sussex, local people have the chance to become homeowners despite having no savings, thanks to an innovative partnership between Mid Sussex District Council and affordable Rent to Buy providers, Rentplus-UK.
The new partnership means eight new affordable Rent to Buy homes were made available close to Felbridge on a prestigious Abbey Developments site, known as Martins Mead. Under the model, private finance funds new affordable housing at no cost to the local council.
Local MP Mims Davies MP joined with Councillors from Mid Sussex District Council to welcome new residents into the new homes they will be buying.
The new homes consist of 6 x 2-bedroom Houses and 2 x 3-bedroom houses and all have fenced gardens and a secure bicycle storage unit in the gardens. All applicants were required to have previously lived in or have connections to Mid Sussex.
The Rentplus homes saw over 100 applicants and, all homes have now been allocated. All tenants are key or essential workers, including working in the NHS and emergency services or local schools. Six were previously living in social housing properties in the district which they have freed up for reallocating. The remaining two were on the Council’s Housing Register.
The tenants started their home ownership journey by moving into their brand-new homes without paying any upfront deposit. They will pay an affordable rent based on the Local Housing Allowance for 5 years living in the home that they will one day own whilst they save up to buy it and build a good credit history.
By paying a below market rent they can save more each month. At the outset, they choose whether to buy their home after 5, 10, 15 or 20 years. They move in with no deposit and when they come to purchase, Rentplus will gift them 10% of their home’s value at that time to add to their savings and reduce the mortgage they need. They will buy their home using a high-street mortgage and then own 100% of it as if they had bought on the open market.
At the opening, Emma George, Area Director for the South East at Rentplus, said: “Affordability is an issue across the country. We’re excited to be offering Rentplus homes in Mid Sussex, to offer local homes for local people, enabling hard working people to stay living in the communities they grew up in.”
Councillor Salisbury Mid-Sussex District Council added:
“It is wonderful to see new homes being provided to help local people move towards home ownership. In doing so, this will also free up existing social housing for others, which provides another huge benefit to our district.”
Local MP, Mims Davies added: “These homes are life changing for the tenants moving in and are an inspiration for those who are aspiring to buy but may be finding it difficult to save for a deposit. Mid-Sussex District Council and Rentplus are doing something quite forward thinking, in helping local people achieve this. It was good to meet some of the families. Thank you to Sarah and her girls and Marcus for showing me around their homes. They now have the chance to become homeowners and we wish them well in their new homes.”
Mims Davies and Councillor Salisbury joined with the households to plant a sweet cherry tree, part of the Rentplus commitment to plant trees for the late Queen’s Jubilee Canopy.
Marketing/Social Media Officer
Exciting role in social and affordable housing
Milton Keynes – Hybrid working (1 or 2 days in the office)
Salary £24-£27k
We have an exciting opportunity for a Marketing/Social Media Officer to join the Rentplus communications and marketing team, working with the leading affordable rent-to-buy provider across England. The role supports the Head of Comms and Marketing in delivering strong marketing messages across traditional and digital formats.
You’ll need excellent written English and experience in producing compelling press releases, case studies – you’ll also be running social media campaigns so good graphic design skills essential, and video production would be a plus.
Job and person specification here.
Send a covering letter and CV to Head of Marketing and Communications. [email protected] by cop Monday 20 February 2023.