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RENTPLUS is an affordable rent to buy model which offers an accessible route to home ownership for those who are currently excluded from the market, with the opportunity to rent, save and own through a combination of affordable rents and a ten per cent gifted deposit.

The new properties are leased and managed by a housing association and tenants pay an affordable rent, the lower of 80% market rent and Local Housing Allowance including service charges.

With no repair or maintenance obligations and low running costs, tenants are able to save even more towards their deposit and build their creditworthiness.

After an agreed tenancy period of 5, 10, 15 or 20 years, the occupier is offered the opportunity to purchase their property. While there is no obligation to purchase, those who do choose to buy receive a gifted deposit of 10% of the value of their home.

Rentplus across the country

As of 2020 RENTPLUS has active schemes in around 100 local authority areas and are actively working with 120 other councils across the country to deliver the RENTPLUS product.

RENTPLUS currently have in excess of 400 units completed and occupied, another 150 units which are in construction, a 1000 units contracted and a further 10,000 units in the pipeline.

We are continuing to work creatively with local authorities to deliver homes in their area to meet a wide range of needs.

  • Established homes and planned new housing
  • 2018/19 funded new homes
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National context

Two of the five principles from the Social Housing Green Paper 2018:

  • Safe and decent homes which is fundamental to a sense of security and our ability to get on in life, and
  • Building the social homes that we need and ensuring these homes can act as a springboard to home ownership

Key issues

  • UK Needs 300,000 per annum
  • UK Built 170,000 in 2019
  • The UK needs to build at least 300,000 homes per annum of all types just to meet current demand – it has been building just 137,000 on average over the past 3 decades although 170,000 were built in 2019.
  • Reported since April 2010 - 333,000 affordable homes
  • Delivered in 2019 - 48,936 affordable homes
  • Over 1.2 Million households waiting
  • Inability to save a deposit is one of the biggest obstacles to home ownership.
  • Soaring prices and rising rents, not enough of the right homes in the right places creates exclusion and insecurity of tenancy, waiting lists growing to over 1.2 million households.
  • Government grant funding reduction
  • Significant reduction in government grant funding for affordable housing construction.

We need a flexible approach to tenure and ownership: creative solutions and a different mind-set are key to avoid doing what we’ve always done.

Rentplus solution

RENTPLUS’ affordable rent to buy model offers an accessible route to home ownership for those who are currently excluded, with the opportunity to rent, save and own. It makes available existing social and affordable homes for those in need and is a fully funded solution requiring no Government funding and bringing substantial institutional funding into affordable housing.

How will RENTPLUS assist LAs and NPGs?

  • Helps deliver homes for those whose needs are not met by traditional tenures by delivering a third tenure which assists those local households who aspire to home ownership, but don’t have access to a deposit.
  • Assist LAs, parishes and Neighbourhood Planning Groups funding homes in rural communities which otherwise may not be delivered, by levering in institutional investment.
  • Freeing up existing affordable homes by prioritising local people and those in existing social housing.

How does Rentplus work?

Fund:

Homes funded by institutional investors.

Build:

Homes built to building regulations and RENTPLUS standards.

Lease:

RENTPLUS homes leased to local partner Registered Providers (RP) for up to 20 years.

Let:

Homes let at Affordable Rent (80% of market rent or LHA including services charges) on 5 year renewable ASTs.

Buy:

25% of RENPLUS homes are sold to tenants if they choose to buy at years 5, 10, 15 and 20 with a 10% gifted cash deposit.

Replace:

As homes are sold, Rentplus intends to replace them to maintain numbers of affordable homes.

House types:

An example three-bedroom home, constructed with attic trusses to enable purchasers to easily extend into the loft at a future date cost effectively as the family grows. In addition, an enclosed porch and/or rear conservatory garden room could be added. The alterations are subject to permission.

Key features:

  • Designed with attic trusses for easy conversion of roof space.
  • Designed for addition of conservatory and porch with ease.
  • Future proofed for a growing family.