Isle of Man public sector housing tenants face 1.9% rent rise

Douglas Council is the island's largest housing authority

People living in public sector housing in the Isle of Man will face a 1.9% rent rise from 1 April.

The weekly increases, which are based on property size, will range from £1.19 to £2.01.

The Department of Infrastructure (DOI) said the gap between funding for the housing and the rental income received was "likely to exceed £6m a year".

DOI minister Ray Harmer said balancing the cost of the housing with the impact of rents on tenants was "difficult".

The department would work with the island's local authorities to move to a four-to-five-year periodic rental setting system in future, he added.

Under the changes, those living in a one-bedroom flat will see rents rise by £1.19 to £63.94 per week, while those in a three-bedroom house will pay £107.80, an increase of £2.01.

It means the weekly rent for one-bedroom flat has risen by £5.25 between 2017-18 and 2020-21.

The rent for a three-bedroom house has gone up by £8.90 per week over the same four-year period.

During a recent consultation on the setting of rents, Onchan commissioners "reluctantly" agreed to support a 2% increase, while Ramsey Commissioners and Douglas Council had called for an inflationary increase of 2.5%.

Mr Harmer said: "Maintaining a balance between the cost of delivering the service against the cost to the tenant is a difficult one."

The increase, which will apply to tenants in all of the island's housing authorities' properties as well as those managed by the DOI, comes into force on 1 April 2020.