Rent rises will 'push tenants over cliff edge'

Woman walking in front of a row of houses in HuddersfieldADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Kirklees Council has raised rents by 7.7% in line with government guidelines

At a glance

  • Kirklees Council has defended its decision to raise rents despite tenants being behind on payments

  • The cabinet approved a hike of 7.7%, in line with government guidelines

  • Tenants will pay an average of £5.36 more per week on a one-bedroom property or £7.57 a week more for a four-bed

  • The council said the rise was needed to maintain council housing standards

Katharine Wootton
BBC News

Social housing campaigners have warned that Kirklees Council's decision to raise rents will push some tenants "over a financial cliff edge".

The cabinet agreed to up rents by 7.7%, in line with government guidelines, despite many residents being in arrears.

Tenants will pay an average of £5.36 more per week on a one-bed property, while a four-bedroom property will increase by £7.57 a week.

The council said the rise was needed to keep up the investment required to maintain council housing standards.

However, a report to the cabinet revealed 40% of tenants in Kirklees were already in arrears on their current rent payments, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ahead of the council meeting, cabinet member for housing and highways, councillor Moses Crook, said: "We are aware of the challenges some tenants face in keeping up with rent, alongside other cost of living pressures.

“With total rent arrears of £3,189,000, our approach is empathetic yet responsible. We aim to ensure every tenant has a safe place to live and manageable finances."

Suzanna Muna, secretary of the Social Housing Action Campaign, said: "What this means for tenants and residents is that they will be pushed over a financial cliff edge.

"The announcement also doesn't take into account the rises in service charges many tenants also have to pay, which are uncapped.

"The vast majority of those living in Kirklees council homes will not have received a pay rise anywhere near 8%. If they are not able to pay extra for rents or service charges, they will be forced to cut back on essentials such as heating and eating."

The rent increase will come in from 1 April 2024.

The council said tenants would receive notice, along with information from the Money Advice Team, four weeks before.

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