A lettings firm is offering emergency services key workers free accommodation for three months.

Lenwell, with six offices in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire, is appealing to its landlords for accommodation.

Founding and managing director Rob Wellstead says that their response so far has been wonderful.

While the landlords get no rent for three months, they will be charged no fees.

Their properties will be let on ASTs or company tenancy agreements, with the tenant able to leave at any time during the first three months.

After that, rent is to be charged at market rates and the tenants would serve a month’s notice to terminate.

The offer of free accommodation is available to NHS, police, ambulance, fire and armed service personnel. It can be used by people who already have homes in their area but do not want to risk giving coronavirus to their families.

Wellstead has told them: “These properties can be used to ensure that you keep your family safe and well.”

Lenwell has currently closed all of its offices, with all staff working from home.

Wellstead told EYE: “We have some vacant properties so we approached the landlords and asked. We’ve been trading for 30 years so know most of our clients really well, and it really is wonderful how they’ve reacted.

“Our thought was to help those key workers that are working flat out and perhaps don’t want to keep travelling home every night potentially contaminating their home and family.”

Separately,  in London, agency Drakers has set up a fund of £250 for each tenant and landlord who is employed by the NHS, and offer them help with transport using the firm’s company’s cars, and collection and delivery of groceries.

Draker Lettings managing director Tim Hassell said they have had a ‘very big response’ to this, and said it had also helped his team to have something “therapeutic” to do.

EYE would be interested to hear of other initiatives by agents in these difficult days – a time when acts of kindness count for so much.