Supporting local councils to encourage local investment in private sector housing

Lendology CIC is a B Corp, social enterprise lender, working in partnership with local councils across the UK. Working with council partners, we provide access to low cost, responsible finance. We make our lending decisions with people, for people and put impact before profit.

We have been lending funds on behalf of councils since 2005 and specialise in lending to owner occupiers, landlords, and empty property owners. Ultimately, our aim is to support local councils with incentivising investment in private sector housing.

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Lendology manage the whole loan application from assessment, approval, paperwork and direct debit collections. Our comprehensive reporting suite ensures each council has full oversight of their funds.

We disrupt traditional lending with our decisions powered by partnerships and people, enriching homes and lives through affordable finance.

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We currently deliver the following schemes in partnership with our existing councils

Although our flexibility means we can support you to create your own scheme, based on the unique housing issues you would like to address.

We have lent over £22 million of council capital to date,  and manage an ongoing loanbook of nearly    £9 million

We currently work with the following councils who would be happy to discuss how the partnership works and their successes to date with you.  A broad range of districts and boroughs, we understand the housing challenges in urban and rural areas.

Bristol City Council
North Somerset Council logo new
South Gloucestershire Council logo
69%of homeowners who borrowed from us reported that the improvements to their property had a positive effect on their financial wellbeing
158%of every £1 invested by the council into our loan scheme results in £2.58 in Social Impact being generated. This means increased physical wellbeing and financial health.
71%of homeowners who borrowed from us reported that the improvements to their property have a positive effect on their health and wellbeing.
71%Before their home improvements, 71% of homeowners who borrowed from us said that issues with their property caused them stress, depression or anxiety.

Who do we partner with?

We partner with local and unitary authorities, fund managers and other organisations to support home improvements, the climate agenda, and socio-economic housing solutions.

Become a Partner

  • Councils
  • Unitary Authorities
  • Other organisations investing in housing solutions

Why become a partner

Our current council partners recognize the value of their investment in the Lendology loan scheme. Partnerships support improving private sector housing stock across diverse communities.

“Cost effective, focused and innovative partner developing and delivering a range of offers that as a local authority we have neither the time nor expertise to do.”
Janet Williams, Public Health and Housing Manager, Torridge District Council

Become a Partner

  • Let an FCA regulated lender enable your community to benefit from a recyclable fund, rather than one-off grant payments.
  • Signposting to free services first
  • Helping improve overall housing standards
  • Improving health and wellbeing of residents
  • Enabling quicker hospital discharge by ensuring properties can be safe warm and secure
  • Reduction in the number of empty properties
  • Increasing the take up of energy efficiency measures

How to become a partner

We work alongside each new partner to provide a fully managed loan service. We can start a scheme with a relatively low level of funding from you and would be happy to talk through your initial ideas, and provide our expert advice so that you avoid any pitfalls. It takes approximately 6 months for us to get everything arranged and for your loan scheme to be up and running.

Become a Partner

  • Fully managed loan service on your behalf
  • 18 years of experience ensuring you are in safe hands
  • Driven by purpose as a Community Interest Company
  • Expert advice on policy review, loan delivery, and more
  • Clear budget setting with a transparent fee structure
  • Management and Social Impact Reporting to keep you updated

Become a partner of Lendology

To find out more about our loan scheme partnerships, please complete the form below and we will be in contact within 2 working days. We can provide an online webinar session to enable you and your council members to find out more about joining Lendology.

FAQs

We are always happy to answer any questions you have. If our Frequently Asked Questions do not answer your query, please contact us and a member of our team can support you.

Why does Lendology require a Title Restriction?

Lendology requires a Title Restriction as we lend local council funds to homeowners. The local council require repayment of the loan should the loan property be sold during the loan term. The Restriction is only in place whilst there is a balance due on the loan. When you have repaid your loan in full, we will deal with the removal of the Title Restriction at the Land Registry. There is no fee or charge for this.

If during the loan term you decide to sell or transfer the ownership of your home, your legal representative will write to us and request a loan balance on the date of sale, and we will remove the Title Restriction when the balance of the loan has been received.

What does a Title Restriction mean to you?

Our Title Restriction means that if the loan balance is still outstanding when you sell your property, Lendology will require its funds returned as part of this process. Your legal representative will write to us and request a loan balance on the date of sale, and we will remove the Title Restriction when the balance of the loan has been received.

If you are re-mortgaging your home, your legal representative will contact us for our consent. We consider each case on a case-by-case basis and are likely to approve your re-mortgage if your new mortgage is similar to your previous mortgage when you took your Lendology loan. If we do not consent to your re-mortgage, we will confirm to your legal representative the loan balance required to settle the loan.

We will never ask you to sell your property in order to repay the loan.

How much does it cost to set up a loan scheme?

Scheme set up costs vary depending on your requirements.  After an initial discussion, we will be able to provide a cost-break down detailing both initial set-up fees and ongoing activity-based pricing. Contact to discuss.

How much do you need to start a loan scheme?

Ideally, Lendology require a minimum of £300,000 as a starting level for a loan scheme.

With our average loan value of around £8,000, it means that we could support approximately 37 households as a start point.

How long have you been lending on behalf of councils?

We have been operating for nearly 20 years, and so have a wealth of experience working with local councils, including developing new loan scheme offerings and on-boarding new partners.

What do you lend for?

We work in partnership with each council and lend according to their Housing Policy.  We currently support owner occupiers, landlords, empty property owners and park home owners under our main loan schemes.

Do you lend to non-homeowners?

Not as a matter of course.  However, if there is a situation where a council partner requests us to lend to a non-homeowner, we are able to complete a financial assessment as per our usual application process.

How do you ensure clients will repay the loan?

We register a Title Restriction against the property at the Land Registry to enable us to protect local council funds. This means that should the homeowner look to re-mortgage, sell or transfer ownership, we are notified and the loan agreement stipulates repayment on any of these trigger events.

Do you have many people in arrears?

Typically, we have around 0.8% of loans in arrears, so a very low rate. Our initial affordability assessment ensures that when we lend, we are confident that clients can afford to make repayments now and into the future.

How do you ensure you lend correctly?

We are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and we work through a conversation with the client where we undertake a financial assessment, which looks at all income and outgoings. We realise the benefit of having a conversation, and we follow that up with requesting copies of financial documents to support the conversation.

How do you ensure that people are sharing accurate information?

We ask for copies of bank statements, and other supporting documents and information.

How long does it take to arrange a loan?

It can take as little as 2-3 days, but the average is more like 14 days.

What rate do you currently charge clients?

Uniquely our standard loan rate is 4%, regardless of age or income or loan term.

Do you charge the client any additional fees for a loan?

We charge £20 to cover the cost of entering the Title Restriction at the Land Registry.

How do you know the loan is used for a home improvement?

We always ask for a copy of the final invoice, which matches the amount of money borrowed.

What happens if someone is eligible for a grant e.g. Disabled Facilities Grant or an ECO Grant?

We always signpost applicants for funds that are freely available in the first instance, and we are also there to support them if the work required is more expensive than the grant.

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