Charity appeals for landlords as housing 'dries up'

Jessica said she might only get a handful of viewing offers from 50 applications

A housing charity has taken out newspaper adverts appealing for landlords to come forward with rental properties.

Plymouth Access To Housing (Path) said it had decided to advertise in newspapers to tackle what one manager said was the worst rental market in 15 years.

The charity said it had become a real problem for those on benefits or a low income.

Senior manager Becky Saxton said: "The source of affordable rental properties in the city is drying up."

Jessica has been in temporary shared accommodation for eight months

She said she had "never known it to be this bad before" in her 15 years of working in the housing sector.

"We have landlords leaving the market in droves," she said.

"We've got huge increase in holiday lets and the rents on the properties left are high.

"So the people that we work with, people on low incomes, are being priced out."

Jessica, who has been in temporary shared accommodation for the past eight months, said: "You can apply for 50 properties and you might only hear back from two or three.

"It can be really, really harsh; and then, when you do get these viewings, you can say one thing and suddenly you're not going to be chosen; or it's even down to appearances."

Landlady Sibylla Chan, who rents out one of her properties to Path, said: "You hand over your house for three to five years.

"They will look after it and they will house people who are in desperate need of housing, and pay you the market rate."