Small rise goes through for Highland Council housing rents
Highland Council agrees one per cent rent rise for local authority homes
Members of the Highland Council’s housing and property committee have approved a one per cent rise in council house rents for 2022/23.
The administration said the below-inflation increase would help tenants during challenging financial times.
It was also agreed that the percentage increase will be applied to all residential Housing Revenue Account (HRA) rents and service charges and to gypsy and traveller site pitches.
The report agreed by members at yesterday’s meeting confirmed that one of the smallest rent increases in a number of years would generate sufficient income to fund council house management and maintenance in 2022/23.
Members also took into account the affordability impacts for individuals of any increase and balanced that against the future investment needs likely to be required to fund the commitment to achieving net zero carbon targets for council housing.
Councillor Mike Finlayson,vice chair of the housing and property committee, said: “We recognise that many tenants are going to be facing higher costs of living and energy bills in the coming year.
“We listened to the responses we received through consultation on rent levels.
"This small rent increase in 2022/23 will allow us to maintain current levels of service whist minimising the financial impact on council tenants.”
Tenant consultation was based on options of a one per cent or a 1.5 per cent rent increase.
Some 63 per cent of those who responded said that they would prefer to see the one per cent rent increase option, with 37 per cent preferring a 1.5 per cent increase.
Councillor Finlayson said: “The consultation information highlighted that a one per cent rent increase would result in maintaining services and completing agreed capital works and I am pleased that is the option which has been agreed today.
“Feedback from tenants also indicated support for prioritising capital and cyclical maintenance and for increasing consultation with tenants on priorities for future investment in their homes.”
Council leader Margaret Davidson said: “I am proud of the work done by our officers and the decision to keep our rent rise this year to one per cent.
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“This is the smallest rent increase I have seen for many years and it is a reflection on the very real pressures on household budgets this year and our hope to keep prices down as much as we can.”
She added: “We have excellent welfare services (0800 090 1004) and along with a minimum rent increase we hope to help out as many tenants as possible.”
The council’s latest tenant satisfaction survey revealed that 89.9 per cent of tenants responding stated that they considered their rent represented good value for money compared to a national average of 84.1 per cent.