Advice on renting in the private sector
It can be difficult for households on lower incomes to access the private rented sector. The Vale of White Horse is working hard to make it easier for households to access affordable accommodation in the private rented sector.
Newsagents and local newspapers are a good way to find private rented accommodation. For more information see our page How to find private rented accommodation.
If you are on a low income, even if you are working, you may be entitled to housing benefit to help with the cost of the rent. Housing benefit can be complicated to calculate and the amount of benefit you receive varies depending on your income, household make-up and the rent charged for the property. We advise that if you are considering renting a property to contact the Benefits Team. They can estimate your entitlement based on your income and also issue you with a pre-tenancy determination form which, will confirm the maximum housing benefit payable on a particular property. For more information see our Housing benefit pages.
The Housing Advice Team also runs a Deposit guarantee scheme which enables tenants who cannot afford a cash deposit to offer landlords a Bond instead. The bond is issued by the Council and acts as a deposit guarantee for the landlord. If you would like to register for the scheme, or require further information, please contact the Housing Advice Team.
Please also see the following pages for more advice on renting in the private sector:
Last reviewed: 08 - 02 - 2012