Taxpayers are being short-changed of £92,000 due to tenants failing to pay their rent to the county council.

Around 23% of Kent County Council tenants have failed to pay their rent for more than two months.

Gen2, a company set up by the council to manage its £2bn of properties across Kent, is looking to move eligible tenants to direct debit payments.

However, only 22% have chosen this option.

Former broker Cllr Harry Rayner asked the council's policy and resources cabinet committee on September 13 whether there had been a "systemic failure" in Gen2.

He said: "Do we not have built into our leases that payment will be by direct debit?

"If not, why not? I note that we have some eight tenants mentioned here as being in excessive debt, are we not being seen as something of a soft touch?"

However the director of infrastructure at KCC, Rebecca Spore, said tenants with debt have a "management plan".

She said: "All of the eight tenants have a management plan in place in terms of how we are going to manage the rent collection.

"Some of those have now paid and some are on repayment plans which are ongoing.

"We have been stepping up our approach, in terms of rent collection.

"Given the type of people who tend to tenant our buildings, we try to help those where we can but there are some instances where we have had to move down the legal route and take action in order to recover outstanding debts."

While Ms Spore declined to give out specific details of clients in debt, community groups are among those struggling to pay rent.