'Disappearing' council tenants fail to pay bills

Mid Devon District Council said it was owed more than £40,000 in unpaid bills by council house tenants in the last year

A Devon council has said it is still waiting to be paid for nearly two thirds of bills charged to council housing tenants since last year.

Mid Devon District Council said only £18,000 had been paid from the nearly £62,000 charged to tenants in the year to April 2023.

The council charges tenants for services such as repairs for deliberate damage and pest control.

Simon Newcome, the council's corporate manager for housing, said collecting the money was difficult because tenants are often hard to track down after they vacate.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the council was owed £137,866 overall from tenants when added to other historic debts.

But Mr Newcome said clawing back the money was difficult when "some tenants disappear".

"They vacate the properties overnight and move to an unknown address," he said.

"Some sign up to payment agreements, but the breaking of these by the tenant is a common issue."

Mr Newcome said Covid restrictions also meant frequent visits to properties in the pandemic were paused.

“We find the contact with tenants to be the best tool for engagement, and neighbourhood walkabouts are a good chance to have a look at properties and have early conversations with tenants to help head off costs that could become more expensive if not dealt with sooner," he said.

He added the council's debt recovery rate, which is less than 30%, was comparable to other sectors.