At Byker Community Trust, part of Karbon Homes, we set our rents in line with government policy and guidelines from the Regulator of Social Housing, this is known as the Rent Standard.
The new Rent Standard 2020 that came into force in April of that year still applies and allows for rent increases of Consumer Price Index (CPI)+1% each year. This year this represents 4.1% (CPI=3.1%). As a result, we will be increasing our rents by 4.1%.
We will be closely monitoring any impact on our customers. If you or someone you know is struggling to pay rent, are having money problems or just need some help and advice, please give us a call as there are many ways we can help. For example, our Welfare Support and Tenancy Sustainment Team can help with any debts, benefit maximisation and also give advice on household budgeting. The best way for us to support you is for you to get in touch and talk to us. You can call us on freephone 0800 533 5442 and select option 2.
We aim to provide as many good quality homes as we can, and as a not for profit organisation, this year’s rent increase will help us to continue our investment in the improvement and maintenance of our existing homes, keeping them safe and secure; helping us to build more new affordable homes for local people; and supporting the delivery of ambitious environmental sustainability targets.