Housing charity blasts misleading rent-to-rent claims

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Shelter has strenuously denied that it is involved in any rent-to-rent schemes after it was claimed that the charity was either acting as a guarantor or had placed tenants in rented properties.

It has threatened to take legal action against any individual or organisation which uses Shelter’s name to “promote, encourage investment in, or add legitimacy to a venture”. The group adds: “We would like to make it clear that Shelter have not at any time and will not be involved in these or any other property investment schemes. Claims that Shelter are, or may be, involved in these schemes are bogus and fraudulent.”

Action Fraud

It explains that it does not directly place tenants in properties, does not own any residential properties and does not lease, let or rent any residential properties. The group says it has notified Action Fraud of at least one scheme purporting to involve Shelter.

It adds: “In 2022 we were made aware of more than one instance of an employee of ACH Investments Ltd (company number: 12368029) wrongly representing Shelter and issuing contracts in which Shelter were named as tenants in a rent-to-rent scheme, dating as far back as 2019. Shelter has not entered into any agreement, or had any dealings whatsoever with ACH Investments Ltd.”

Offering education

“It’s totally understandable that Shelter don’t want to endorse a particular guaranteed rent company,” Landlord Action’s Paul Shamplina tells LandlordZONE. “What they should be doing is offering education to tenants dealing with these companies and the possible ramifications if it goes wrong, which we’ve seen a big increase in during and after Covid.”

LandlordZONE has tried to contact ACH Investments.

• Shelter says 24,060 households were threatened with homelessness in England as a result of a Section 21 order in 2022, 50% higher than in 2021, while 290,330 faced homelessness, a rise of 6%.

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