What’s changing?
By now, you've most likely received your rent review letter from us in the post. From April 2026, rents for most of our tenants will increase by 4.8%.
The amount that we can increase rents by each year is set by the government to make sure social rents stay affordable but also that social landlords have the income they need to cover their costs, look after and improve existing homes, and build enough new ones.
Consumer Prices Index (CPI)
To do this, from 2026, the government has said that we can increase rents by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation, plus 1% each year for the next ten years. This has been done to give you and us certainty and predictability for the next decade.
Because CPI changes each month, the government chooses to use the figure from September the year before (published in October) to set the rent increase. This is to give us plenty of time to let you know about the changes to your rent.
As CPI inflation in September 2025 was 3.8%, the rent increase from April 2026 will be 4.8% (CPI + 1%). Here’s an example of what this looks like:
|
Current weekly rent |
New weekly rent (from April 2026) |
Difference |
|
£100.00 |
£104.80 |
£4.80 |
|
£125.00 |
£131.00 |
£6.00 |
|
£150.00 |
£157.20 |
£7.20 |
What’s the difference between service charge and rent?
A service charge is a fee for extra services provided to your home, usually covering communal areas. It's split equally between the properties receiving the services. Rent is the fee you pay to live in your home. Learn more about the different types of rent here.
You’ll notice these two fees calculated separately on your rent review letter, and you can find out more about this here.
How we reinvest the rent you pay
We’re committed to giving you the best value for the rent you pay, and here’s how we’re doing that:
- Investing in your home: We spend over £45 million every year on repairing and maintaining our homes.
- Homes for Modern Living: We’re investing £300 million over the next five years to upgrade 6,000 of our existing homes to bring them up to date for modern living.
- Future Homes: We’re committed to building 2,250 new homes by 2030. This includes our ‘Project 100’ eco-village in Birmingham – the first large-scale net zero affordable housing community in the Midlands.
Read our 2025-30 corporate plan
Worried about paying your rent?
If you’re worried about paying your rent, it’s important to act now. Here’s what you can do:
- Free Money Advice service for you: Call our friendly Money Advice team on 0345 60 20 540 for free and confidential advice if you’re struggling with your finances. Don’t let your situation get worse – our trained advisors are here to get you the help you need.
- Check your benefits: If you get Universal Credit or Housing Benefit, your payments should automatically adjust to cover the rent increase. You must report the change in your Journal or inform the Housing Benefit office of the rent change on or after April 6, 2026, but not before.
- Other support available: You can also contact Citizens Advice or National Debtline for free, confidential budgeting and debt support.
