How do you work out my rent?

The total rent is made up of the ‘net rent’ and, where applicable, service charges.

We have a rent policy that explains how we decide what rent to charge. Generally the rent you pay is based on the type of property you live in, and the type of tenancy agreement you have.

Assured and assured stakeholder tenancies

We take into account:

• The value of the property
• The average earnings of people in the local authority area
• The number of bedrooms
• The number of people who are allowed to live in the property

The Government has an aim of having similar rents for housing association and council properties by 2012 and has set a limit on the increase that we can make to your rent. This limit is the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus half a percent plus £2.00.

Your tenancy agreement will say when we can review your rent. This will usually happen once per year (after the first year). If we increase the rent we will give you one month's notice in writing.

Secure tenancies

Rents on secure tenancies are registered through the Rent Service and are normally reviewed on a two yearly cycle.

In setting the rent the Rent Service will take into account the age, character, location and state of repair of the property.

Rent increases on secure tenancies are limited to the increase in the Retail Price Index (RPI) since the last registration plus 5%.