Tenant Rate Increases from April 2020
Tenant rent is set annually at the beginning of April in accordance with Government policy. The Government has announced that from April 2020 Local Authority rent will increase by inflation + 1%. Inflation is set as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) percentage in September of the preceding year. The percentage in September 2019 was 1.7%.
On 7 January 2020, the Council’s Housing, Economy and Business Committee approved a rent increase of 2.7% effective from April 2020. This will ensure that services can be maintained and improved to tenant homes, blocks and estates. The rent you are charged will increase by 2.7% in total which is the first increase for 5 years.
Your personal rent changes will be notified to you by letter during February 2020. This letter will also confirm any changes to other charges included in the gross weekly rent associated with your home.
What you need to do next
Tenants who receive Housing Benefit will need to do nothing as we will inform the Housing Benefit department of the new rent charges.
If you are a Universal Credit claimant, please log into the Universal Credit Portal to advise Department of Work and Pensions of your new rent charges but do not do this until 6 April 2020 when the new charges take effect.