Rent rise to 'repair and maintain' council homes

Housing services are facing challenges including higher costs for materials, new safety rules, and a backlog of repairs

Rents for council homes in Barnsley will rise by 2.7% in a bid to address rising maintenance costs, new safety regulations, and a growing backlog of repairs.

Barnsley Council approved the 2025/26 budget on Thursday in a bid to support the borough's housing services and ensure homes are safe and in good condition.

For tenants, this will mean an average weekly increase of £2.44, pushing the average rent from £90.66 to £93.10.

Non-dwelling rent, service charges, and district heating will also rise by 2.7% in line with the government's rent cap.

The council also agreed to spend £5m over five years to make sure all homes meet safety standards, following new safety measures after the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.

'Difficult decisions'

An additional one-time £5.4m investment would help clear the backlog of repairs and replace old parts of homes, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In total, £40.8m has been set aside for improving and updating homes over the next two years, which includes upgrading older homes, some of which are nearly 100 years old, and investing in new ones.

The council also approved a £16m fee for Berneslai Homes, the company that manages the housing services, and added £2.5m to the repair budget for 2025/26 to keep up with the growing demand for repairs.

Councillor Robert Frost, the council's cabinet spokesperson, said the authority had to make "difficult decisions to continue to cover the cost of repairing and maintaining" homes.

A report by council officers acknowledged that housing services were facing several challenges, including higher costs for materials, new safety rules, and an increase in people needing repairs.

They also noted that the government's recent changes to the Right to Buy scheme would allow the council to keep more of the money from selling homes, which would help with future housing projects.

The budget was approved following a vote.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.