Changes to your rent charges
Our Board recently met to consider the rent increase for the coming year. They considered the pressure of increasing running costs, including utilities, labour and materials, and balanced the long term investment required to improve the quality and energy efficiency of homes, with the financial impact that any increase in living costs will have on tenants and customers.
Having carefully considered, the decision was taken to increase Social and Affordable rents by 4.1% from April 2022. This was considered necessary to continue to maintain and invest in your homes and provide high quality services.
This is an inflationary increase of 3.1% (the rate of inflation measured by the Consumer Price Index in September 2021), plus 1%, and is the maximum allowed within government guidance.
On average, this will mean an increase of around £5 per week in rent for a family home.
Letters providing a minimum of four weeks’ notice of your exact new charges due from April 2022 will be sent in the next few weeks.
If the impact of your rent increase along with other household bills is causing you concern, please contact us and we can help you get the best advice and support for your situation.
During recent months we have all seen an increase in the cost of essential, everyday items including food, clothing and fuel and with further energy cost increases expected in 2022, we have a number of ways we can help.
Please get in touch to see what options may be available to you. This may include:
- Help with utility bills
- Foodbank and other vouchers
- Access to money, debt and benefit advice
- ‘Positive Action’ funding for access to opportunities including training, home appliances, clothing and other essentials
