Many landlords, who have HAP tenants will have just received an email from HAP regarding the ending of the winter emergency period. However, it’s the two paragraphs underneath that interest me.
Finally correcting a gross injustice against those landlords who have chosen to take on HAP tenants.
The two paragraphs from the HAP email….
“Ongoing and additional mitigation measures have been or will be put in place to ease the impact of the end of the winter emergency period, including to amend the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to guarantee payment to landlords where the tenant defaults on payment of differential rent, effective from 1 May 2023.
From 1 May 2023 when a HAP tenant defaults on their differential rent payment to the local authority they will be offered the option of a payment plan to assist them in maintaining their tenancy and allow the HAP payment to the landlord to continue. If the tenant defaults on payment of differential rent under the Landlord Payment Guarantee the HAP payment to the landlord will be guaranteed for a 12 month period or earlier if the tenancy ends subject to confirmation that the tenant is in the property. The HAP payment will be made in-line with HAP procedures within the 12 month period or earlier if the tenancy ends.”
Previously, if a tenant stopped paying their portion of the rent to HAP after a warning, payments would immediately stop to the landlord, which was outrageous as he or she had done nothing wrong!!!
To be honest, this guaranteed payment should not be limited to 12 months……but it’s one step forward.
Finally correcting a gross injustice against those landlords who have chosen to take on HAP tenants.
The two paragraphs from the HAP email….
“Ongoing and additional mitigation measures have been or will be put in place to ease the impact of the end of the winter emergency period, including to amend the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to guarantee payment to landlords where the tenant defaults on payment of differential rent, effective from 1 May 2023.
From 1 May 2023 when a HAP tenant defaults on their differential rent payment to the local authority they will be offered the option of a payment plan to assist them in maintaining their tenancy and allow the HAP payment to the landlord to continue. If the tenant defaults on payment of differential rent under the Landlord Payment Guarantee the HAP payment to the landlord will be guaranteed for a 12 month period or earlier if the tenancy ends subject to confirmation that the tenant is in the property. The HAP payment will be made in-line with HAP procedures within the 12 month period or earlier if the tenancy ends.”
Previously, if a tenant stopped paying their portion of the rent to HAP after a warning, payments would immediately stop to the landlord, which was outrageous as he or she had done nothing wrong!!!
To be honest, this guaranteed payment should not be limited to 12 months……but it’s one step forward.
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