Council writes off rent debts

Mar 30 2009 by Alison Rennie, Paisley Daily Express

FORMER council house tenants who haven’t paid their rent are to have their debt written off.

Renfrewshire Council is owned more than £30,000 from former tenants who have dodged paying their rent.

The debt has been accrued between 2005 and 2008 and despite the council pursuing the former tenants, they haven’t been able to recover the debt.

A report by the director of housing and property services to the council’s housing and community safety policy board said writing off the debt was a “prudent” move.

He added: “Reasons for the debt accruing include lost contact and legal action leading to eviction from temporary accommodation, since the council had completed its duty under homeless legislation.

“The debt recovery process in relation to these accounts has been followed however during this process there can arise a stage when it is recognised that the recovery of the sums is no longer viable.”

The majority of the debt has come from people staying in furnished short stay temporary accomodation for homeless people. Tenants have shorter leases, there can be delays in homeless applicants applying for housing benefit and the council cannot repossess temporary accomodation because it has an overarching statutory duty to provide accomodation for people who are homeless.

The debt of £31,764 will now be written off but the report notes that the action doesn’t restrict recovering the debt in future if the circumstances of the former tenants change.