Private sector housing guide
On this page you can find information on:
- how to find rental properties
- deposits and rent
- landlord and tenancy information
- our rent solutions service
There are many options to rent privately in the district. We do not manage private rentals, however we can provide some helpful recourses for you. We always encourage residents to do their own research.
Please read the government's private rental guide for more information.
Finding private rental properties
When working out what housing you need, we advise that you consider the following:
- what type of accommodation would best suit your needs? studio/bedsit, house, flat or maisonette?
- what property size do you need? See our Local Housing Allowance bedroom rates for further details.
If a property has more bedrooms than allowed by your housing benefit, your benefit is likely to be reduced.
Ermine Street Housing
Ermine Street Housing is the trading name for South Cambs Limited and is an independent limited company we set up. Our income is reinvested into the Council to protect and provide valuable services to our residents.
Ermine Street Housing own a growing stock of homes in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Northamptonshire that allow us to offer competitive market rents, as well as security and comfort of long term tenancies if you need it.
Other property search websites include:
Deposits and rent
Most private landlords ask for a deposit, usually the same as one month's rent, before letting a room or property.
You can find further information on the government Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme webpage.
We may be able to offer you some assistance with either rent in advance on a loan basis, or by using the rent deposit scheme. Please use our benefits calculator to find out what you can claim.
Landlord and tenancy information
Your landlord is responsible for maintaining your homes:
- installation of supply for water, gas and electricity, for example water tanks
- wash basins, sinks, baths, and toilets
- installations for space heating and heating water, such as boilers
- structure and exterior (including drains, gutters, and external pipes)
- window frames
- walls.
Your tenancy agreement may be written or verbal. Verbal agreements are as legally binding as written ones.
A tenancy agreement normally contains:
- information on the amount of rent you will pay
- how long the tenancy lasts for
- the rights and obligations that you and your landlord have.
Our rent solutions service
We offer specialist assistance and advice to agents, landlords, and tenants. This advice helps to maintain tenancies and resolve tenancy problems that may lead to evictions. If we are not able to help directly, there are other services that we can refer you to.
There is a wide range of topics that we can help with, including:
- Housing Benefit claims, including applications for Discretionary Housing Payments
- debt problems that could lead to rent arrears
- eviction and harassment
- landlord responsibilities
- tenant responsibilities
- property repairs and maintenance
- Environmental Health and Housing Enforcement
- referral’s to appropriate tenancy support services.
How to apply
Contact us at housingadvice@scambs.gov.uk or by calling 01954 713 000. When getting in touch, please make sure to share the following information with us:
- your name
- your address
- contact details
- details of the issue
- tenant's address (if applicable).