A new social enterprise lettings agency, Good Place Lettings, has launched in London thanks to a partnership between national homelessness charity Crisis and Glasgow-based social business Homes for Good.
Based on Brick Lane in London’s East End, Good Place Lettings is designed to help landlords offer quality homes while supporting tenants who might otherwise struggle to access stable housing. The agency manages properties across both market-rate and affordable rent levels, including homes for people receiving housing benefit.
The new enterprise seeks to transform the private rented sector by promoting trust, fairness, and long-term relationships between landlords and tenants. Its model mirrors the success of Homes for Good in Scotland, which has spent the past decade pioneering ethical property management and supporting people into secure, high-quality homes.
Ben Rayner, Director at Good Place Lettings, said:’The private rented sector in London is under huge pressure from low levels of new supply which are limiting choice and pushing up rents. It has been very encouraging to meet and work with landlords who want to offer good quality rented homes at varying rent levels to help a wider range of renters with different backgrounds, while helping to improve standards in the rental market.
‘Regulation and reforms to the private rental market are making it more complex and challenging to be a self-managing landlord, which is why some are looking to exit the market. We offer an alternative and landlords interested in making a lasting difference to the experience of private renting in London should get in touch.’
Operating as a Community Interest Company (CIC), all profits will be reinvested to help people on low incomes and those experiencing homelessness secure safe and affordable housing. The initiative has been made possible through funding from Lloyds Banking Group and The National Lottery Community Fund.
As London continues to face soaring rents and growing inequality, Good Place Lettings represents a hopeful and practical intervention — proving that good business and social impact can, indeed, go hand in hand.
Susan Aktemel, Founder of Homes for Good, said: “At its heart, Good Place Lettings is a values-led business, just like Homes for Good, driven by a determination to make the rental sector a thriving market where both tenants and landlords get what they need. We are delighted to bring our model to the London market.
‘The team are committed to building a reputation as the go-to agency in London for landlords who want their property rented out easily and ethically, and for tenants who want an affordable home from an agency they can trust.’
Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: ‘Good Place Lettings is a truly exciting new initiative. It shows that the private rented sector can and should be a place where people on low incomes, or facing homelessness, can build a life with a safe and secure home.
‘With such a severe shortage of social housing, it’s vital that we have an inclusive private rented sector that provides good quality, genuinely affordable homes. Without this, we’ll see homelessness continue to rise and more people stuck in shoddy temporary accommodation.
‘As we work to tackle the exclusionary practices that have left too many people without a settled home, it’s terrific to see Good Place Lettings open for business.’
Landlords and prospective tenants can get in touch with Good Place Lettings here.
Photo by Francesco Albertazzi via UnSplash
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