Increasing the Supply of Accessible Rental Homes.

Shelter is a fundamental human need.  Housing security frees up our capacity to meet our other needs and goals such as work, relationships and our mental and emotional wellbeing.  This basic need for housing is amplified when there are additional accessibility needs.  

 

I set up AccessiblePRS to create ways to significantly increase the provision and availability of accessible homes around the UK. We are involved in the private rental market, in part because it has some shockingly low statistics. It’s a frustrating place for those who fall between the gaps of social housing and the ability to purchase their own home, or who need the flexibility to be able to move around with work. Additionally, it’s a sector with some easily fixable broken links, and solutions that benefit everyone. 

This is a huge market, with 1.8m people in the UK living with accessible housing needs, an ageing population and a housing system, embedded with a variety of barriers for wheelchair users to find the existing limited stock. Additionally, properties should be where tenants need to live with work, schools, transport links and support networks all being factors. 

Here, our adventure with Purple Goat begins. We’re thrilled to have such pedigree and experience on the team to help AccessiblePRS reach out to wheelchair users looking to privately rent an accessible home.

We need potential tenants to register. This helps evidence the demand in a tangible way. Our investors and landlords are enthusiastic about the possibilities of smart investments with social benefit, though still need to align people to properties before taking the step to build to M(4)3 standards and ensure accessible (rather than adaptable) fit outs. Registration doesn’t cost or create any obligations.

We work with private landlords and corporate investors.  Each brings their own advantages, including diversity, positive landlord/tenant relationships and scale. What’s in it for them? In short it’s a property investment like any other: they expect returns. However, as wheelchair tenants tend to stay put longer, this can mean fewer void periods and associated transition costs, so increased yields. They can enjoy better landlord/tenant relationships, as wheelchair users understand the value of their homes and look after them. Also, they future-proof their portfolios: a simple case of limited supply of the right kinds of properties and increasing demand on those few properties. 

For more information on how AccessiblePRS can help you, have a read through our website or start a conversation by emailing hello@accessibleprs.co.uk.