Generation Rent published research on council payments to private landlords on 1 September 2025. This archive summary was checked against the campaign group's original release on 16 October 2026.
The scope of the research
The group said it sent Freedom of Information requests to 32 London councils providing statutory homelessness services and ten councils outside London selected for their homelessness pressures.
According to its release, 37 councils responded. Those responses recorded 10,792 incentive payments during 2024–25, costing more than £31 million.
These were reported as one-off payments intended to encourage landlords to accommodate households approaching councils because they were homeless or threatened with homelessness. The release distinguished them from housing benefit.
What the total does not establish
The figure describes the responding councils in that exercise. It should not be presented as a comprehensive total for every English council.
Nor does the research mean that every landlord can claim an incentive, that every council offers the same arrangement or that a historic payment remains available today.
Check current local arrangements
A landlord considering a council scheme should obtain the current written terms from the relevant authority. Clarify eligibility, property requirements, responsibilities and any conditions attached to a payment before making a commitment.
For readers assessing the research, keep its reporting period and sample beside the headline total. Further information would be needed to assess the outcomes and value of individual schemes.
The study is evidence of the payments reported in that historical sample, rather than a current offer or a finding about every landlord's conduct.