Social rent increases

soffie

I have elderly neighbours who are renting socially who are confused at the proposed rental increases (as am i!)
they have had -1% for past few years.. now it looks to go up CPI+1%? Is this something they can expect to see in their April 2020 rent review or April 2021? This is where we are confused as we have seen stuff saying from April 2020 which could mean that literally or April 2021 which is how i am reading it with one more year at -1% reduction coming up April 2020. Any help please.

Morglin

It’s from this April, although landlords can choose to apply lower increases or no increase at all.

They just can’t go higher. Obviously, housing benefit will also rise in April, so the amount people actually pay will vary.

https://www.socialhousing.co.uk/news/news/government-confirms-annual-cpi1-rent-increase-and-extension-of-rent-standard-to-local-authorities-60341

HampshireH

It is this April and you are likely to be hard pushed to find a social landlord who won't apply it. Purely due to the loss in revenue they have incurred over the last few years.

This is the opportunity to bring some of that money back into the businesses.

[Deleted User]

To be honest, given that in social housing I am actually paying 1/3 private rent rates I would be happy about a higher rent rise. I know repairs aren't supplied like they were due to a lack of funding. I don't know how our social housing system keeps going at all, even with the lack of social housing there is today.

If this will cause your neighbours problems, see if there is any financial help they can get such as pension credit etc.

theartfullodger

They or someone for them should check what benefits they are entitled to by running the benefit calculators on gov.uk.
https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators


They should be getting at least 6 benefits already each - State pension, 'bus pass, winter fuel allowance, free eye tests,£10 Xmas bonus, free prescriptions.


Might well be entitled to e.g. PiP, HB.....

tom9980

Social rents need to slowly rise but at a rate higher than private rent rises so they catch up over the next 25 years, the money raised from this should be used to build much more social housing. This should then help slow rent rises in the private sector as they have to now compete with more readily available cheaper social housing.

Chandler85

The system is flawed for political gain as always.

When private rent can go up year on year., this is usually the most expensive rents.

Cheaper social rented houses, have had enforced reductions (this was to save the government money on housing benefit increases). Thus making social rents even cheaper in comparison to private rented and the income to housing associations less.

All while the same government demands that the housing associations build more housing at affordable and social rent. They can't win!

Tell your friend to ring the housing association, most have people whose job it is is to ensure that people get all their benefits.

theartfullodger

tom9980 wrote: »

Social rents need to slowly rise but at a rate higher than private rent rises so they catch up over the next 25 years, the money raised from this should be used to build much more social housing.

No, social rents do not need to rise.. No reason why they can't stay as they are: True the Tory's want them bumped up to further oppress the poor and vulnerable.

This should then help slow rent rises in the private sector as they have to now compete with more readily available cheaper social housing.

More readily available social housing? Where would that be then - which councils are you talking about, please? If it social housing really is more readily available how come so many councils are directing tenants to private landlords, please?

And surely the simpler thing to do is simply to reduce private rents to bring them in line with existing social rents.

Cheers & HNY all!

KittyCat70

CPI is likely to be 1.5%/1.8% so the rent rise will be capped at 2.5%/2.8%.

theartfullodger

Sorry to hear of your sister's experience. Terrible what this gov is doing/permitting. "Taking back control" eh? Yeah, but only for the rich & privileged.

gomer

tom9980 wrote: »

Social rents need to slowly rise but at a rate higher than private rent rises so they catch up over the next 25 years, the money raised from this should be used to build much more social housing. This should then help slow rent rises in the private sector as they have to now compete with more readily available cheaper social housing.

Awful lot of 'shoulds' there, social rents do need to rise slowly but we both know already the money raised wont be used to build more social housing & it wont help slow the rent rises in the private sector.

The money will just disappear and we will be told all sorts of rubbish as to where it went & why It couldn't be used to build more social housing, and private rents will continue to skyrocket.

Social housing 'should' be removed from the corruption of local government control altogether, then we might see changes.