London•2 active council schemes

Lewisham empty home schemes

Lewisham offers 2 landlord incentive schemes - money paid or guaranteed to landlords who let to council-referred tenants, such as guaranteed rent, rent in advance or a deposit guarantee. Each scheme below links to the council's own page where you can verify eligibility and apply.

Active schemes

Private sector leasing

Guaranteed rent / leasing

Guaranteed rent for a 3-9 year lease, paid even when the property is empty

Eligibility

Lewisham Council leases residential properties for three to nine years to house homeless families, providing guaranteed rent for the whole lease period even during voids, with no admin, letting or management fees and guaranteed vacant possession at lease end. Properties must be in good habitable condition with gas, electrical and EPC certificates. Contact psl@lewisham.gov.uk.

Lewisham Lettings Scheme

Rent in advance / incentive

One-off cash incentive up to £4,000 paid within 14 days + one month's rent upfront

Eligibility

A free tenant-finding service (no agency fees) where the landlord manages the property on an AST and must keep the tenant for a minimum of 12 months. New landlords receive a one-off cash incentive of up to £4,000 (amount set at property inspection) paid within 14 days of tenancy start, plus one month's rent upfront which covers any malicious damage. Tenants are council-referred and receive accredited tenancy training.

Notes

Landlord incentive research July 2026: Lewisham Lettings Scheme pays new landlords up to £4,000 within 14 days of tenancy start; 3-9 year private sector leasing with guaranteed rent. Empty-home schemes not yet researched.

Council website

Lewisham

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Scheme content is sourced from Lewisham's own published pages and UK government open data (OGL v3). Verified bi-monthly via Proppys' research and review pipeline. Always confirm the latest eligibility on the council's own site before applying.