DWP funding has helped to develop a new website, www.letshelpyou.co.uk, to enable tenants to move to more affordable accommodation in the private rental sector.
The LetsHelpYou service was piloted across five West Yorkshire local authorities in February 2012 and now has a network of over 20 local authorities, with more in the pipeline. Over 16,000 tenants have registered, there are over 1,700 registered landlords using the service, and so far more than 4,000 properties have been uploaded and advertised through the service.
Through local authority subscriptions, LetsHelpYou is a free service for tenants and landlords alike. Tenants use the local housing allowance calculator to work out their LHA then search for colour-coded properties within their allowance. Over 60 per cent of advertised properties have a rent equal to or below the relevant LHA rate.
LetsHelpYou specifically deals with affordable private rental properties, and as a multi-channel service, it is available online, on mobile devices and via Sky and Virgin Media.