Annual Review of Rent and Service Charges 2026/27

We review rents and service charges every year. The rent you pay helps us to:

Maintain and repair council homes
Make sure homes meet the Decent Homes Standard
Keep homes safe and meet the Building Safety Act 2022
Provide important council services, such as adult social care and mental health support

How is my rent worked out?

Most council rents are set using a Government rent formula that has been in place since 2002. This formula takes into account:

The value of your home
How many bedrooms it has
Average local earnings compared to the national average
Inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI)

What if I pay affordable rent?

Some homes are let at affordable rent, which is based on up to 80% of local market rent. These are usually new-build homes or properties the council has bought.

If you pay affordable rent:

Your rent will increase by CPI + 1% from 6 April 2026

How often can rents increase?

Between April 2016 and April 2019, rents were reduced by 1% each year (as required by Government)
From April 2020, councils can increase rent each year by CPI + 1%
Rent levels are approved every year by the Council’s Cabinet before April

You will always receive at least 28 days’ notice of any rent or service charge changes.

Can my rent change during the year?

Your rent may change if there are major changes to your home, such as:

A change in the number of bedrooms

If this happens, we will always tell you in advance.

Why are rents and service charges increasing?

We understand that any increase is difficult. However, costs have risen due to inflation, including:

Staff costs
Repairs and maintenance materials

We also need to:

Catch up on non-urgent repairs
Carry out property condition surveys
Meet new standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing, who can take action if landlords do not provide value for money

Any additional income will be reinvested to improve services and the quality of your home.

This is a 52-week rent year – what does that mean?

This year, rent will be charged 52 times, as usual, every Monday.

If you receive Universal Credit

Please follow these steps carefully:

Keep this letter safe – you will need it in April
Wait for a Universal Credit task called “Confirm your housing costs”
Use the information in this letter to complete the task by the deadline

Do not report the change to Universal Credit in any other way, as this could delay your payments.

This is what your ‘confirm your housing costs’ task will look like:

UC - changes to your rent

If you receive Housing Benefit

You will receive your Housing Benefit entitlement letter during the week starting 9 March 2026
Your first week may not match the new rent exactly
This will be corrected automatically from week 2

If you pay by monthly Direct Debit, your payment will be updated automatically.