We aim to keep rents affordable. We use government rules alongside the cost of maintaining homes to set your rent.
We look at:
- How much your home is worth
- How big it is
- What condition it's in
- Average local earnings
- How many bedrooms it has.
How we work out changes to your rent
We follow the government’s Rent Standard. This uses inflation (Consumer Price Index, CPI) plus 1%.
In 2025, this meant rents for social and affordable rented homes increased by 2.7%
Why rents change
Last year, we spent £171 million on repairs and £200 million on major improvements. As costs go up, we may need to increase rents by the amount allowed.
We check rents every year and will write to you if your rent is changing. You'll get at least four weeks' notice.
Rents for homes not covered by the Rent Standard
Some homes aren't covered by government rent rules. These include:
- Intermediate market rent homes
- Market rent homes
- Regency (former Crown Estate) homes
We set rents for these homes using Retail Price Index (RPI) in September, plus 0.5%.
RPI in September 2024 was 2.7%, so rents for these homes will go up by 3.2% from April 2025.
For shared ownership homes, we increase rents based on your lease agreement.
| Type of rent | Increase from April 2025 |
| Social rent | 2.7% |
| Affordable rent | 2.7% |
| Market rent | 3.2% |
| Intermediate market rent | 3.2% |
| Regency (former Crown Estate) properties | 3.2% |
| Shared ownership homes | Will depend on the terms of individual leases. |
What to do if you’re struggling
We know many people are finding things tough. If you're worried about your rent, we’re here to help.
Our teams can give you advice on:
- Benefits and grants you may be able to claim
- Managing debt and budgeting
- Saving on energy and utility bills
A change to how some social rents are set
The government has confirmed that rent convergence will restart from April 2027. This means some social rents that are below the government’s set rate will increase by an additional £1 a week or £52 a year.
This increase is on top of the usual annual rent change, which is based on inflation (Consumer Prices Index) plus 1%. The extra £1 a week is the same for everyone affected, regardless of how far your rent is below the government’s set rate. It will continue until rents reach the target level, or until 2036, when the current government rules on social rent increases come to an end.
Some rents are below the target rate because rent convergence was paused by the government in 2015. As a result, those rents didn’t reach the level originally intended by the government.
Only some households will see this additional increase. We’re checking which homes are affected and will contact you directly before April 2027 if yours is one of them.
How to pay
