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Understanding rent changes
Had a letter from us about a change to your rent? Find everything you need to know here.
Understand rent changes FAQs
The money we get from rent payments is used to fund the services we provide. Without it, we can’t do what we do. So for us to be able to keep helping people, it’s really important that we get rent charges right. We re-invest the rent that you pay by delivering on our customer promise, supporting our communities and maintaining and improving our homes.
Take a look at some frequently asked questions below to help you understand why your rent might be changing.
How do I know if my rent has changed?
We’ll always send you a letter to let you know before any changes are made; not only is it a legal requirement we think it’s important to make sure you’re kept up to date.
What will my new rent be?
Don’t worry, we’ll always send you a letter before any of the changes happen so you have plenty of time to prepare. Your new rent amount and how it’s been worked out will be explained in the letter you receive.
If you need support with your finances our financial inclusion team can help. You can speak to them by calling 0345 141 4663.
Why is the cost of renting rising?
We want to let you know that we do not take any decisions about changes to rent and service charges lightly. We do everything that we can to keep costs as low as possible while continuing to provide the services you expect from us.
Recently, we’ve seen increases in costs for services like energy and the price of materials and labour. We've explained more about this in our talking about costs blog.
How do you spend my money?
We are very aware that every pound we spend is a pound of our customers’ money. Your rent helps provide services including maintaining and managing your home. But it does a lot more too. Find out how your money is spent.
When will I start paying the new rent amount?
For many customers you’ll start paying your new rent amount from the beginning of April.
If you pay by Direct Debit then you don’t need to do anything as we’ll make the changes to your monthly payment. If you're not already paying by Direct Debit it's easy to set up using My Home Account.
If you pay by standing order then you’ll need to contact your bank to change the amount you pay.
I claim housing benefits. What do I need to do?
If you claim housing benefit to help pay your rent then you’ll need to contact the housing benefit department at your local authority to tell them about the changes.
Using the letter we’ve sent you, their advisors will make sure that your details are all up to date and that you’re getting the right amount of benefit to help you meet your rent payments. It’s your responsibility to let them know of any changes, but if you need a little help they’ll be happy to talk you through it.
I claim Universal Credit. What do I need to do?
If you claim Universal Credit to help pay for your rent, then you’ll need to contact the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to tell them about any changes.
Visit our Universal Credit: updating rent and service charges page for step-by-step instructions.
Looking for money advice?
Many of us struggle to manage our money, but there’s plenty of advice out there to help. Visit our benefits and money advice pages to help you understand the benefits you could claim and make the most of the money you have coming in.
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