Changes to your council rent

We are required by law to give you four weeks notice of any increase in rent to your council property. We send the rent increase notice to all tenants regardless of any housing benefit or universal credit housing element you receive.

Rent increases are produced annually they will not included any housing benefit or housing element you are entitled too. If you are in receipt of universal credit you will need to advise them of the change of rent to your property for them to reassess your claim. You do not need to advise housing benefit of the change as we do this automatically for you, they will send details to you of your housing benefit in the first week of April.

Your rent increase notice may include service charges. These will be charges for communal services and these may vary to the type of building or scheme you are in:

• communal cleaning
• external cleaning and garden or grounds maintenance
• communal electricity
• internal maintenance or redecoration
• caretaking service
• external building maintenance
• communal heating

Please contact us if you are not receiving the above services.

If you are experiencing difficulties in paying your rent you may be entitled to housing benefit. Go to how to claim housing benefit

When paying your rent by standing order, you will need to inform your bank of the new rent amount from the effective date shown on your rent increase notice letter.

If your rent is paid to us by direct debit we will automatically adjust this for you, you do not need to take any action. If you would like to set up a direct debit please go to pay your rent where you can download a direct debit form.