# Private Rented Scheme - Working with the Council **URL:** \ **Category:** Landlord Discussion\ **Created:** [15 September 2026 11:50 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521 "2026-09-15T11:50:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tonisha](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/tonisha/32/33676_2.png) [@Tonisha](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Tonisha)\ **Post date:** [15 September 2026 11:50 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/1 "2026-09-15T11:50:20Z")
**Good afternoon everyone,** We are currently exploring a new initiative in the Windsor and Maidenhead Borough, which involves landlords working more closely and directly with the Council. I would be really interested to hear landlords’ thoughts, experiences, and any concerns or reservations you may have about this approach. If you have previously worked directly with a local authority, what was your experience like? What worked well, and what challenges did you encounter? We are keen to gain insight from landlords themselves so that we can better understand any potential barriers and identify ways to make these partnerships successful for everyone involved, including landlords, tenants, and the Council. Your feedback, suggestions, and honest experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for sharing your views.😀 ---
**Author:** ![David240](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/david240/32/29827_2.png) [@David240](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/David240)\ **Post date:** [15 September 2026 20:10 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/2 "2026-09-15T20:10:57Z")
@Tonisha Just be very wary these are the same people who tell tenants to stay put and wait for the bailiffs so they don’t become intentionally homeless and the responsibility of the LA. So costing LLs huge amount of £ in unpaid rent and legal costs to delay housing people. Unless the LA can give you a binding written contract assuring you they will never give your tenants such advice I’d avoid any deals with them. I’d also assume they only use you for tenants they don’t want to house in their own housing - so your place will be thoroughly trashed by the time you get it back. And that once tenants in place they will take no responsibility for any repairs or maintenance or damage caused by tenants (who won’t be able to pay, and have no incentive to behave well). Basically it’s a rent to rent scam just run by a LA. Good luck ---
**Author:** ![Colin3](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/colin3/32/450_2.png) [@Colin3](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Colin3)\ **Post date:** [16 September 2026 12:08 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/3 "2026-09-16T12:08:10Z")
The local Authority are NOT the landlords friend Steer clear ---
**Author:** ![A\_Z](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/a_z/32/450_2.png) [@A\_Z](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/A_Z)\ **Post date:** [16 September 2026 16:04 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/4 "2026-09-16T16:04:52Z")
We used to have a landlord association run by the council . I found the lectures useful as I learnt a lot . I also got to meet the local authority staff, some of whom were brilliant . In cases with bad tenants they were ver supportive . Disadvantages The tenant liaison officer was a racist and didn’t know the law as well as he thought he did . He was also anti landlord . Fortunately his colleagues didn’t think highly of him. I had to refer him to one of his colleagues to correct himself as he was making false legal claims . The other staff member , I knew well, corrected him however ,In a difficult tenancy he took revenge to the point my solicitor told me to involve the police . He was playing on the side of the tenant . The tenants the local authority refer are the tenants they don’t want . I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole . Some staff are good and some are bad . I miss the meetings as it was a good time to meet other landlords . However, as time went on I felt learning was better elsewhere and joined organisations . In conclusion , it was positive and negative . ---
**Author:** ![Colin3](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/colin3/32/450_2.png) [@Colin3](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Colin3)\ **Post date:** [16 September 2026 16:16 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/5 "2026-09-16T16:16:50Z")
I used to go to council meetings like that ,25 years ago. Then they stopped them due to costs. Spot on about their difficult tenants ---
**Author:** ![A\_Z](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/a_z/32/450_2.png) [@A\_Z](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/A_Z)\ **Post date:** [16 September 2026 17:20 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/6 "2026-09-16T17:20:13Z")
That’s why they stopped ours too ---
**Author:** ![Mita](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/mita/32/2027_2.png) [@Mita](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Mita)\ **Post date:** [16 September 2026 21:10 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/7 "2026-09-16T21:10:13Z")
My parents tried this a few years ago, and the house got completely destroyed. Think something out of a zombie apocalypse, with bioharzardous waste on the walls. The council then refused to pay for the repairs, despite initial claims that all damages would be covered by them. So it was a disaster for us. Good luck if you do decide to do this! ---
**Author:** ![Alfie6](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/alfie6/32/34686_2.png) [@Alfie6](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Alfie6)\ **Post date:** [20 September 2026 15:59 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/8 "2026-09-20T15:59:53Z")
Absolutely NOT. I once was contacted when I had a property advertised by the Council offering to cover the deposit and trying to push one of their ‘at risk of homelessness’ families onto me. They told me all about ‘what a lovely family’ they were etc and that the landlord was selling and it wasn’t their fault they were being evicted. I decided to check for myself and insisted on visiting the existing accommodation they were being evicted from. They lived like pigs, the place stank, the adults were obese to the point they couldn’t work or look after a property, and the children were feral…it was obvious why the current landlord wanted shot of them. The other problem is that the council claim that they give enhanced guarantees/deposits etc, and manage the tenant on your behalf…however they will only pay a much lower than market rent. They claim this is because they guarantee the property will be tenanted…but what they don’t guarantee is that the tenant will actually pay the rent, because the benefits were going into their pocket first. Given that if I needed to evict the tenant due to whatever issues of their causing…the council, acting as ‘agent’ would be fighting tooth and nail for the rights of the tenant to avoid having to put them up in a hotel etc…so DO NOT ever consider the way that landlords should have a right to be treated fairly and expect both the basics of the rent paid and the property clean/maintained as a basic standard. ---
**Author:** ![Per](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/per/32/5835_2.png) [@Per](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/Per)\ **Post date:** [22 September 2026 16:33 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/9 "2026-09-22T16:33:21Z")
Stay clear, unless: 1. You find it difficult to source good tenants yourself 2. An ironclad agreement by the council to cover all arrears, cover market rent, reimburse all damages (including rent if place is uninhabitable), and a placement fee of 6 months rent. Then, sure. Why not. ---
**Author:** ![head17592](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/community.openrent.co.uk/head17592/32/26149_2.png) [@head17592](https://community.openrent.co.uk/u/head17592)\ **Post date:** [26 September 2026 06:30 UTC](https://community.openrent.co.uk/t/private-rented-scheme-working-with-the-council/91521/10 "2026-09-26T06:30:44Z")
I work with the council in such a team and manage complaints that come in from private landlords who rent to us. I am a landlord too and will personally never let my property to council. We at the council have a few jokes about council rented properties that explains what we think of council tenants- in the first month of tenancy, the wooden floors will be ripped off for firewood in winter, in the second month all rooms in the house will become walk in toilet… Councils often rent these properties to vulnerable tenants who trash the property. We rarely get to visit regularly to check the condition of the property as tenants often refuse access and even if we do manage, the tenant ends up complaining about us. Visits to check often lead to officer conduct complaint which can be quite demoralising. We often get landlords emailing us and point out 30k, 40k worth of damages after tenants have left or the property being actively damaged, and we then refuse to even accept their complaints saying it falls outside the complaint process and sue the council if you want your money back. It a very messed up system tbh. Us officers who work in that part of the council know how bad it is but can’t do much because of hundreds of laws out there to protect the tenants. Further the housing ombudsman is very biased and anti council/landlord and often advises us to refuse all complaints from landlords that come to us under different excuses.