Government slams ‘unacceptable’ landlords hijacking Gumtree pages to advertise exempt housing

Posted on 19, Aug. 2022.

The government described as “unacceptable” the actions of landlords that take over accommodation pages for areas across the country and then flood them with adverts encouraging people to relocate to Birmingham.

These adverts also explicitly call for people receiving benefits such as Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to get in touch, offering cheap rent, and sometimes asking for no rent money at all.

Many exempt accommodation properties are good quality, providing essential support and a roof over the heads of thousands of people who would not otherwise have one, but there are an increasing number where property standards and support are not to the level required.

It has become particularly popular in Birmingham, which has seen the number of exempt properties balloon from less than 4,000 in 2014, to more than 21,000 currently.

This has largely been boosted by people from outside Birmingham being referred to the city by councils or prisons, or in some cases attracted by adverts on sites such as Gumtree offering cheap rent. The council estimates that only 42% of the exempt properties in the city are filled by local Birmingham residents in need of supported housing.

When Inside Housing travelled to Birmingham, we found people from different parts of England who had been attracted to housing in the city through adverts on Gumtree.

Responding to the evidence presented to it, a government spokesperson said: “It is unacceptable that landlords are advertising supported housing properties in this way. We expect councils to carry out all necessary checks on supported housing to make sure the accommodation is suitable.

“We are looking into this issue and recently announced stronger powers for councils to intervene in supported housing so that unscrupulous landlords cannot exploit the system.”

The government said it believes that the placing of people in supported housing must ensure that services to individuals are met, and that advertising directly to residents is wrong and results in poor outcomes for tenants.

When asked for its response and to outline actions being taken, a spokesperson for Gumtree said: “At Gumtree, the well-being of our users is our top priority and we require that all property ads on our site comply with government regulations for property advertising.

“If you think an advertisement is misleading, or have any other suspicions or concerns, we strongly encourage you to report it to us immediately through the ‘Report’ button listed next to all ads. Our dedicated safety team will then investigate and take the necessary action, such as blocking the offender or working with relevant authorities.

Original article: Government slams ‘unacceptable’ landlords hijacking Gumtree pages to advertise exempt housing