Rent changes

We have written to our social housing customers to explain changes to their rent charges for the financial year 2024-25. All customers should have received their letter by the end of February.

The rent our customers pay will increase by 7.7% from April 2024. This excludes service charges, if applicable, where any changes will reflect actual costs incurred. Like all housing associations in England, we work within government policy when setting rent charges.

We calculate the annual rent change using a specific, government-set formula. This takes the consumer price index (CPI) from the previous September and adds 1%. The CPI measures how the price of goods and services are changing over time.

In September 2023, the CPI was 6.7%. In April 2024, rents will therefore increase by 7.7% (= 6.7% + 1%) for our customers. While all rents are different, the average increase per household will be around £8.60 a week.

If all of your rent charge is currently paid by housing benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit, and your circumstances don't change, this increase will be covered by your benefits.

You can find out more about this year’s rent change in these Frequently asked questions.

This year is a 53-week year

As a customer, you pay your rent on a weekly basis. Normally there are 52 Mondays in the year when your rent is due. However, every five or six years, including 2024/25, there are 53 Mondays in the year, which means 53 rent payment days instead of the usual 52. This additional week makes up for a shortfall in days that occurred in the previous standard accounting years, i.e., 52 weeks x 7 only equals 364 days, not 365 days.

How this affects your rent charges

The 53-week year affects how much rent you pay in 2024/25. You will need to pay an additional week’s rent over the course of the year. If you receive Universal Credit or housing benefit, please see the 53-week year Frequently asked questions for more information.

Working out how much you need to pay

Direct debit: If you pay your rent to us by direct debit, we will take the extra week into account when calculating your 2024/25 rent payment direct debit amounts.

Other payment methods: If you do not pay your rent by direct debit, you’ll need to apply the calculation shown in the 53-week year frequently asked questions to work out how much you need to pay. If you need any help with this just give us a call on 01225 715 715 and ask to speak to your account manager.

Help and support

We know this news comes at a challenging time for many of our customers experiencing a range of financial pressures. If you're concerned about this increase, there is support available:

• Check that you're receiving all available financial help using an online benefits calculator. We recommend Turn2Us and entitled to.
  
• Visit our help paying your bills page which has links to a range of local and national support services.
  
• If you still have concerns talk to us. You'll find contact details below.

What action do I need to take if I receive Universal Credit?

If you claim the housing element of Universal Credit, you will receive a 'Confirm your housing costs' to-do item in your online journal. Please complete this to-do item once received. You will not need to notify
Universal Credit before the to-do item has appeared. If you have any questions, the Universal Credit telephone helpline is 0800 328 5644 (option 2).

Information for shared ownership customers

Please note that the information on this page is for our social housing customers only. We will be writing separately to all shared ownership customers with details of their rent increase this year. This will include frequently asked questions specific to shared ownership customers as well as information about support available.