Rent rises pegged for East Riding Council Housing

East Riding of Yorkshire Council has backed the council house tenants steering group who recommended that there should be a 5.9% increase in their rents from next April.

                             

At a special council meeting held today (Wednesday) councillors agreed to support the unanimous decision of the tenants steering group to increase council house rents for 2003/04 by an average of 5.9%, one percent less than the current years increase.

                             

Before setting council house rents the tenants steering group is always fully consulted and given a range of options which they can consider and then make a recommendation to the council.

                             

The minimum rent increase according to the governments rules and regulations would have been 4.1%. However, the tenants steering group suggested a higher increase in rents in order to  raise an additional £360,000 to add to the £7million to be spent on improving council houses and estates.

                             

Every year the government expects the council to set a rent which will balance the rents charged to tenants against the need to maintain the properties and provide the services which tenants expect in the most cost effective manner.

                             

For the fourth consecutive year the authority has been assessed as 'above average' compared to other authorities in the Yorkshire and Humber region for the work that it does in improving its council houses and estates.

                             

Currently 63% of the council's tenants receive a rent rebate which acts as a safety net to protect those on low incomes. This rebate will rise in line with the rent increase and will mean no increase for those tenants. Some of the remaining 37% will also qualify for a rent rebate which will help to offset the increase.           

The council is working to fulfill the government's agenda of achieving comparable rents for council housing and private sector registered social landlords, although the government acknowledges that local authority rents will still be around 5% below RSL rents by 2012.