Changes to your rent
From April 2024, the amount you pay to us is going up. Here’s everything you need to know, including some important action you may need to take.
Rents are increasing from 1 April 2024
Universal Credit claimants must act on or as soon as possible after 1 April. See our FAQs for what you need to do.
Financial advice and support
We understand this rent increase may not be easy for you. We do not take any decision to increase rents without considering the wider impact for our customers.
Support is available for you if you need it.
If you are having difficulty paying your rent please make sure you talk to us sooner rather than later. We won’t judge you and can help whatever your situation.
How we spend your rent
As a not-for-profit organisation, all of the rent we receive is used to provide our services and repair and improve homes.
We spent £50.5m on improving homes last year. Our in-house team carry out routine repairs and maintenance, while trusted partners undertake large scale planned maintenance and major works on our behalf.
FAQs
Why are you increasing my rent?
We know times are tough. However, we have had to increase rents to cover the cost of our services and repairs and investment in our homes.
Rising costs mean it would not be possible to continue providing the same level of service to our customers without a rent increase.
When does the new rent start?
The rent increase takes effect from 1 April.
Customers who pay their rent weekly on a Monday will make their first payment of the new amount on 1 April 2024.
The increase will also be applied from 1 April 2024 for customers who pay their rent monthly.
How have you calculated my rent increase?
The government sets the maximum we can increase our rent by. This is linked to inflation. On average our rents remain well below that of similar privately rented homes.
Shared ownership rents are set in accordance with the terms of the lease agreement between us and the shared owner.
We understand this rent increase may not be easy for you. We do not take any decision to increase rents without considering the wider impact for our customers.
What if I can’t afford the rent increase?
We’re on your side and want to help you remain in your home.
If you are struggling to pay your rent please make sure you talk to us sooner rather than later.
Remember the sooner you tell us, the faster we can help you. Call us on 0300 555 6666 or click here to visit our cost of living support page.
We understand that the cost of living is affecting everyone in different ways. We won’t judge you and will do our best to help.
I pay a service charge. Will it increase?
Our service charges reflect the actual cost of providing those services to you. Costs for things like energy and maintenance contracts have increased which means we have had to increase your service charge.
We have done our best to keep this as low as we can and regularly monitor our spending on contractors and suppliers to make sure we can give you the best services at the best price.
I claim Universal Credit. Do I need to do anything?
You will have received an annual rent charge review letter from us.
You need to keep this letter safe and use it to report your rent change to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on or immediately after 1 April 2024. It’s a good idea to set a reminder or make a note to do this. If you don’t you could miss out on money you are entitled to.
You can report the change through your Universal Credit online account from 1 April.
I claim Housing Benefit. Do I need to do anything?
We have already contacted your local authority’s Housing Benefit team about the rent change. You do not need to contact them.
Do I have to change my Direct Debit?
We will automatically adjust your Direct Debit, so you don’t need to do anything. We will send a separate letter to your rent review letter confirming what your new Direct Debit will be.
Do I have to change my standing order?
If you pay your rent by standing order you need to contact your bank to change your payment to the new amount.
If you want to set up a direct debit for future payments you can do this yourself quickly and easily online. Alternatively you can give us a call on 0300 555 6666.
How do you spend my rent?
As a not-for-profit organisation, all rent we receive is used to provide our services and repair and improve homes.
We provide a full breakdown of how your rent is spent in our annual report to customers. Click here to read the latest report.
What are you doing about delays to repairs?
We recognise our repairs service needs improving and we are doing all we can to reduce delays. We have invested an extra £5m and 20 additional colleagues have been recruited to the service so we can carry out more repairs each day.
Following customer feedback we have introduced a ‘Repairs Booster Team’ who complete multiple repairs during a single visit.
We have launched a new repairs satisfaction survey to gather your feedback.
Click here for repairs updates and waiting times.
What happens if I don’t pay the rent increase?
Your rent payment is due in advance. It is important that you keep up to date with your rent, as it is part of your tenancy agreement. But if you are struggling to keep up with your payments, please get in touch with us straight away so we can discuss how we may be able to support you. Our priority is keeping you in your home, so we will do our best to work with you to resolve the situation.
How do I give feedback or make a complaint?
If things haven’t gone as you expected or you’re unhappy with something we did, please let us know. We’ll work with you to understand what happened and do our best to put it right.
You can do this by filling in our feedback form. Click here for more information about feedback and complaints.
How can I get a rent statement?
You can find out the balance of your rent account and see recent transactions quickly and easily.
Click here to manage your home online.
