LANDLORDS in the Suffolk Coastal area are being offered grants of up to £20,000 as part of a project to try to provide more homes for rent at affordable prices.

LANDLORDS in the Suffolk Coastal area are being offered grants of up to £20,000 as part of a project to try to provide more homes for rent at affordable prices.

The council's private sector housing team is offering the grants as part of help to carry out essential repairs or maintenance work that will bring an empty property up to scratch so it can be rented out.

Landlords in the Felixstowe area, as well as edge of Ipswich communities such as Martlesham and Kesgrave, along with Woodbridge and Wickham Market, will be eligible to apply for the cash help.

Cabinet member Chris Slemmings said: “At present we are willing to fund 40 per cent of the cost of these works, with the only proviso being that the home should be rented out at an affordable level.

“In the last 15 months we have paid out nearly £28,000 of support to landlords to help increase the number of rented homes in our district available to local people, and I hope more will come forward for support.

“We are looking at how we can make the scheme even more effective, and as well as consulting with our Landlords Seminar, I would welcome the views of people on how we can make it even better as it is important that we make more use of the district's existing housing. This is just one of the initiatives we are taking that has helped 41 vacant homes come back into use since April.”

More details are available from the council's website or on 01394 444506.

WEBLINK: www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk/yourhome