WEST Devon Borough Council is having to ‘think creatively’ to find homes for families in need due to lack of properties that can be made available at short notice.

The cost of privately rented properties is out of reach for some families and many local authorities have a long waiting list for social rented housing. As a result, a new scheme ‘Seamoor Lettings’ will be introduced in West Devon.

South Hams District Council has offered a Property Management Service — a local authority provided low cost property management service for private landlords so that they can pass the saving on to their tenants and landlords — with a low commission rate for many years. Now it is relaunching the service under the new scheme name Seamoor Lettings in the South Hams and introducing the scheme to West Devon.

Cllr Cllr Hilary Bastone, South Hams District Council’s executive member for Customer First, said: ‘We are relaunching the letting service that we offer to prospective landlords. The service we offer is a full, comprehensive service, exactly the same as the kind a landlord would find in the private sector, but the difference is that we are not looking to make a profit from the service. Our aim is to provide a low cost management service that allows landlords to pass that saving on to the tenants. We are then able to math those potential tenants who are most in need of private sector homes at a low cost, with landlords who want to make their homes available to local people.’

Seamoor Lettings is primarily looking for landlords who want to rent their properties on a long-term basis.

Cllr Tony Leech, West Devon Borough Council’s lead member for health and wellbeing, said: ‘The properties that we let are to families who want to make the property their home. We experience very low tenant turnover and for many of our landlords, they choose us because they see the placement of local families in their properties as contributing towards their local communities.’

‘Mrs M’, who has let her property through Seamoor Lettings for several years, said: ‘I chose Seamoor Lettings because, not only did I have properties to rent, but I wanted the properties I had to be available to local people.

‘So much of our towns and villages are owned by second home owners pushing the prices out of reach of local people.

‘I know if Seamoor offers my properties to local people that I am also helping to maintain the character and local heart of our community.’

For more information, visit www.westdevon.gov.uk/seamoorlettings