Social housing rent increases ?

I understand the statement but it doesn't explain the amount the rent will increase by.

Have you got any other literature explaining how rent increases are determined?

that's all it says under the affordable rent section, the bit im woried about is...Therefore, affordable rents are determined by current rent values in the open market.


i'm guessing my rent is deemed to be'affordable rent' Are they saying they will increase my rent to bring it in line with the one bedroom private market rates, i mean ffs i'll have to go back in to go homeless as one bedrooms where i live are about 260-300 a week, no way could i afford that in rent

Why don't you phone your HA? I'd be interested to know what they say.

I would guess that yes, affordable rents are determined by rents in the open market but that doesn't mean that they will be at that level.

GL mate

thanks but i can never get thorugh to them, ill try email, im not a political person but this comes from the governemnt, they usually have caps as to how much HA can charge, looks like not any more, typical tories going after the poor.

Yes, phoning is difficult. Have you got the name of a person you can email?

Is there any info on their website?

there's 3 phone numbers, all engaged but yeah i've just been scrolling around their website, and have emailed them, I expect a reply in a bout 7 days lol, i'll ask one of neighbours when i see them,rent goes up every april anyway, but only by 2-3 pounds, i get the feeling they want all there properties to be private rent value properties now and squeezing the likes of me out.

I'd write a letter too.

What HA is it mate?

I don't know if I should say tba, i'll pm you if u want

Can't see anything about rent increases

As I said, Social Housing rents will be determined to an extent by market rents, but they should still be affordable.

Anyway, I have copied this from another HA's website:

How your rent is set

Assured tenants

If your tenancy started after January 1989 you are likely to have an assured tenancy with us. As an assured tenant, your rent is set under the Government's rent-setting policy. This policy aims to make sure that:

    rents for social housing remain affordable and well below rents set by private landlords
    rents for social housing are fair and clearly explained
    there is a clear link between the rents paid and the quality, size and location of homes
    there is no significant difference between the rents set by councils and housing associations.

We have to calculate a 'target rent' for each of the homes we own. The formula for the target rent has to take account of:

    the market value of the property compared with the national average value of housing association and council properties
    average earnings in the area compared with national average earnings
    the number of bedrooms the property has.

The actual amount you pay should be the same as your target rent by 2012. However, the maximum amount by which we can increase your weekly rent each year until we reach your target rent is the rate of inflation in September plus 0.5% plus £2.

After your target rent is reached, weekly rents may rise by no more than inflation plus 0.5% a year under current Government guidelines.
Fair-rent tenants:

If your tenancy started before January 1989 you may have a secure (fair-rent) tenancy with us. As a fair-rent tenant, your rent increases once every two years and the independent Rent Officer has to agree the increase. Generally, the rents of our fair rent tenants are very similar to the rents of our assured tenants

Thanks mate appreciate that, that makes sense as to how they increase my rent currently every april, i've been here for 11 years, the thing i thought  though was, because they sent this booklet entitled ""government changes" i assumed what you just posted may no longer apply, as other parts include bedroom tax and benefit caps - that part doesn't affect me but they are cutting down and I assumed the subsidised rent, which is basically what I pay as i couldn't';t afford much more, may no longer be structured in the same way, but im probably panicking like a muppet..

I guess the key factors are "government policy" and "target rents".

If you find you can no longer afford the rent, can you apply for Housing Benefit?

London zone 1 ?  isn't that the west end and Chelsea/ Hammersmith ?

No offence , but how do HA tenants get to end up here ?   

He must be Somalian

He must be

You can apply for housing benefit but i would still have to move eventually, as i couldn't afford one bedroom private renting prices, no chance, whiuch is what it would basically be if there are no more government caps to HA properties, new benefits caps are now set at £350 a week from april 2013, which includes rent and council tax, so coucil tax around 25 a week, tax band b - and that is being reduce in my borough too by 2.5% for benefit claimants, which basically digs into any jsa you may claim, and if the HA  increase the rent to private prices it could be up to 260-300 so I may JUST qualify for this housing benefit but what then? I couldn't then get ajob to pay that so i  would have to leave and go god knows where.

and from next october there is a new univesal credit which inludes jsa and housing beneift, so my claim would smash though the 350 a week benefit cap this time next year, not that im planning to be on benefits, but i could still be **** if i lose my job.

Zone 1 coves the congestion charge zone covers much more than hammersmith and chelsea

I'm not Somalian, I'm white, english 20's Work on crap wages and work 5 days a week, 3 week days and all weekend, i don't want to be on benefits thats the point here, i want to be able to afford my rent, which i don't know if I will be able to from april.

tax band d

Who said the government are going to increase SH rents to private rent levels?

...yes, market rents will be a guide, but as far as I am aware, there will still be caps

i  would have to leave ( Zone 1 - London ) and go god knows where

Ayers , rent is relatively cheap in towns such as Portsmouth,Southampton,Swindon... all a stones throw of London ...and probably a better chance of work too

thats what i mean, in the op, they send a new booklet about government changes then they include the sub text i posted in the op, considering i've been here a few years, why would they send me a new government changes booklet telling me something they would assume i know anyway about how rent is calculated, that's why i posted asking what it meant, i thought they were trying to say new changes meant they were significantly increasing my rent to bring it much closer in line with the true market value, but thanks for your help, i think i'll find out soon anyway mate.

im from london, my work, firend and family are here coach, im not moving to those places by myself, that's not living. and i am working now just not on great wages. Hope a living wage comes in soon.

If it gets to the point where its unaffordable and your crippling yourself trying to make rent, £150 a week will get you into a double room in a nice share house in a decent zone 2 area, all bills included.  £70 a month for a bus pass and you're sorted.  I'm sure you dont want to move but you're by no means in a dire position if you have to.

living wage in London -  is there such a thing ?

Tottenham is nice at this time of year (and cheap) - nice speedy journey on the tube

i'm not moving from a 1 bed flat into a shared house, where  would have to share the bathroom, toilet, awakward passing in the stairs with people i don't like etc, and all into a double room, and tottenham is the last place in london i'd move to, it's not nice any time of the year believe me on that score,

theres this new bedroom tax too, i bet they start saying my living room is a bedroom and i have to rent it out as part of their new under occupancy laws, i bet labour get in next.

AyersRock
20 Nov 12 12:54   
new benefits caps are now set at £350 a week from april 2013, 

I'd bet my last dollar that the Somalian family in the £2k a week mansion in Fulham doesn't get evicted when the cap comes in.

Would you consider yourself a key worker in the area? Nurse, teacher, social services, etc?  Would certainly be harsh on you then if they forced you to pay a big increase in rent.

Ayesrock see this     http://www.ellcchoicehomes.org.uk/NovaWeb/Infrastructure/ViewLibraryDocument...

better explanation here   http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/ourwork/affordable-rent

Ayesrock. it wont affect you

Ayers Rock, it means you have to move to Canvey Island, because us hardworking taxpayers have had enough of subsidising your lifestyle.

the new affordable homes for rent will be like e-bay. the highest bidder for that new home wins it

Even a 36 hr NMW wage should get you a take home pay of just over £200 a week.
If rent is split equally between tenant and undeclared girl-friend then about 35% of take-home income is being spent on accommodation ( is council tax payable on top, or included? )

According to the ONS housing costs are typically between 33-37% of their price index, so this isn't bad at all.

And consider the upsides.

ZONE ONE - London - one of the world's most exciting cities with loads of FREE tourist attractions, and some good value ones you can pay for too.
Living room big enough for a bed if necessary
Not sharing toilet or bathroom
Only people you like are passing you on the staircase
Friends and family nearby, although living with family is out, as they're nice but not that nice
Everywhere else is so bad GOD HIMSELF doesn't know where it is.

Er, hang on, there must be a downside to this, there must be

Blades , zone one  h-a tenants should be shipped out to Canvey Island at first notice 

No one on average/low wages will be able to afford london rents soon

Are they expecting the likes of bus drivers post men and road sweepers to commute to work ?

70 % of london is basically a **** hole

for coachbuster, you're obviously not from London, zone 1 is like any of the zones in london when it comes to rent prices, you can extremely wealthy streets, turn a corner and there's a concrete jungle estate ot 24 story tower block, zone 1 centrally is pretty un-residential towards the outskirts it  covers area such as Elephant and Castle, a real dump, Old street, a real mix, aldgate, kings x, euston, lambeth, edgeware road, there are real horrid placess amongst them, nobody lives in Oxfprd street or picadilly circus.

cookedarm, i'm not a key worker,

early morning riser, TYVM,

bongo, say you have a job on minmum wage, £6.08 a hour and work 40 hours a week.

-That's £243.20 a week
-Deduct tax and NI
-deduct rent
-deduct coucil tax
-deduct weekly water cost on direct debit
-deduct weekly electric cost on direct debit
-deduct weekly gas cost on direct debit
-deduct weekly TV license payment
-deduct weekly food cost
-deduct weekly travel cost
-deduct, weekly phone/broadband cost

and what you have is less take home pay than if i were to go and sign on the dole and claim HB.

I don't want the violins out, we all have to pay our way through life, but surely you can understand being concerned about a sudden rise in rent, i work hard because i haven't worked out how to be successful on betfair

Neither has anyone else...!

NMW is 6.19 an hr, *40 hrs a week * 2 people gets you to a combined pre-tax income of £495.20 a week.

Travel costs should be minimal - this is Zone 1, all the action is within walking/pedalling distance.
TV Licence is for functional purposes voluntary.
Rent is £140 a week, you're going to get a gradual rise when it's next reviewed. Fears of sudden rises are unfounded.
You never mentioned what the council tax is - and whether that's with or without the single person discount. Smiles.

Admittedly, because anywhere outside of Zone 1 is so bad GOD HIMSELF isn't sure he knows where it is, you won't have a nearby Netto Ghetto or a Runcorn Shopping City sponsored by £-land around the corner. Having to shop at places like Westfield isn't cheap.
But it can't be good to spend 10+ years of your youth in one place - get out a bit, try somewhere new, and don't gamble as much, only Betfair win money on here.
I probably come across as harsh, but good luck all the same.

70 % of london is basically a **** hole
__________

yeah,all those multi millionaires living in London must be pulling their hair out at being stuck there

lol at this thread

The millionaires in Lodnon live mostly in exclusive parts, Kensington, Hampstead, Holland Park, but sally is tight, 70% is a ****, i live here and those that don't like coachbuster probably think we all live in mini mansions swanning around in our jags and ferrari's, all 8 million of us

sally is right not tight

bongo

gf is a student can't afford to contribute nothing but pay her own travel fees and food

i live in zone 1, i dont work in zone 1, travel cost over 40 quid a week.

a tv is not essential, but 3 a week is worth it and its not that that will see me homelss, its massive increase in rent.

fears of sudden rises are unfounded correct,but they are seriously cutting back on this kinda thing.

council tax is band d which is close to 25 a week and i pay 19 becuase of single person dicount -my borough are receiving 2.5 million  a  ear less from april for this tax which means i will contribute more.

i buy discouted crap from places like 99p shop and local tesco/iceland, no luxeries for me.

I'm not moving for the sake of moving, i like it where i live, i never said i didn't but it's not exactly plush just cos its zone 1 ,trust me

and know this, there are some places and familes in zone 1 worse off than any other zone.

Ttower bridge one of the most famnous iconic places in the world - tower hamlets just behind it is the [poorest borough in the country, that's london all over, a face paint

3 pounds a week tv licence

Ttower bridge one of the most famnous iconic places in the world - tower hamlets just behind it is the [poorest borough in the country, that's london all over, a face paint

As I pointed out quite a few times over the years, the open top tourist buses get as far as Tower Bridge, then turn back towards the west end. They don't venture any further east.

Fact

London is not poor like it used to be .  Used to be overwhelmed with middle age cokney geezer types spitting over the pavement .

Nowadays you have flower baskets outside pubs and bookies, upmarket jeweller's and coffee shops / pattisseries with french sounding menu's .

The Immigrant population has certainly brightened up the place .

Remember all those derelict units under railway arches in the 1980s , full of beggars and all sorts - nowadays those same units  are thriving businesses .The smell of stale urine has now been replaced by the smell of scented soap shops

Used to be overwhelmed with middle age cokney geezer types spitting over the pavement

Replaced by asians doing the same, as the east end expresses a friendly welcome to its old adversary, tuberculosis.

i never venture up that end

Yes coachbuster, we're all walking around on gold paving stones down here i mean ffs, when was the last time you cam to london, it has been spruced up but business close all the time, and there are still many 3rd world areas AKA canning town, peckham, tottenham.

If you can't afford to live somewhere then move.

If my family and friends are all loaded and can afford houses in Knightsbridge that doesn't mean I have the right to expect the state to support me living next door to them.

The bottom line is that you can't afford to live where you want to live. I think you will find that you are not alone with that problem.

The bottom line is that you can't afford to live where you want to live. I think you will find that you are not alone with that problem

The Somalian who went into his local council office and told them 'I don't like living in this poor area.'  got moved to a luxury house in a fashionable west end neighbourhood.

He gets £2,000 a week housing benefit.

Does that sound fair to you?

I can just about afford to pay 140 a week in rent on my full time wages

and before you say get a better job, i have tried and you also need people like me, to do the crap jobs

Black up your face and get on the dole mate, get yourself a luxury house in Fulham. 

And he's not the only one either.

I don't know any white families in houses that get over a grand a week housing benefit.

AyerRock I realise that getting a better job is often not straightforward these days.

I also understand that you would rather stay put however I do struggle to understand these days why people in poorly paid jobs do not move to cheaper areas and thereby get a far better standard of living.

Struggling to make ends meet just so that I could be near to friends and family doesn't sound like much of a life to me. If I were you I would be up north in a shot.

I do struggle to understand these days why people in poorly paid jobs do not move to cheaper areas and thereby get a far better standard of living.

a cheaper area would mean a worse standard of living not better, a better standard of living includes mental health and not just financial, going to some run down sink estate or neighbourgood to save 30 off quid a week and miles from family and friends is not worth living for, not to mention splitting up from my gf, I have to think about her too, she doesn't wanna move from her family friends - and miles from her uni too.

i believe for the right to live in Zone 1 London  i feel residents who do not wish to relocate should have to maybe 'make good' with some community work ...cleaning canals,parks etc , tending to old folk .

Parts of Lambeth are in Zone 1, they should be paying lambeth residents to live there not vice versa

going to some run down sink estate or neighbourgood to save 30 off quid a week and miles from family and friends is not worth living for

Have you ever left London? For the sort of price you are currently paying you could have a really nice place in other parts of the country. I appreciate you may need to stay inLondon whilst your GF is at university however I reckon you would be bonkers not to move after that.

Too many people in London put up with a poor standard of living as they have no real idea what their money could get them elsewhere.

Its a near compelling tale of work, love and life in the centre of one of the worlds most vibrant capitals, offset only by the pervading sense of entitlement that one should be allowed to do it on the cheap.

For the sort of price you are currently paying you could have a really nice place in other parts of the country. I appreciate you may need to stay inLondon whilst your GF is at university however I reckon you would be bonkers not to move after that.


You're not listening my friend, i didn't ask to be born here, I was and that's that, I'm not gonner up sticks to please you, I don't want to live in another part of the country, my life is here, I built my life here gf or no gf, I'd still be here, and as I've already told you, it's not just about a better standard of living financially, it's about general happiness to, why on earth would I move far afield just to rent a flat 30 quid cheaper surrounded by people Ii don't want to be surrounded by, i can afford 140, it's step for **** wages like mine but there you go, cant afford much more.

anyway nvm I've exhausted this.

offset only by the pervading sense of entitlement that one should be allowed to do it on the cheap.

so i should move from london and do it on the cheap elsewhere get lost.

Why stay in London just because your family live there !

My grandparents lived in Hampstead ,but i couldn't even afford a 1 bed flat there - so you have to adjust to your means - that is the reality of life .


Have you tried Canvey Island ? that's close to London

have you thought about moving away from London or getting a better job?

Coachbuster
22 Nov 12 18:53   
Why stay in London just because your family live there !

I moved away. But to London and back with no speeding on the M-way is £50 in fuel. And my daughters can't come to us because the youngest's husband works weekends, and the eldest's husband doesn't drive.

I have the in-laws less than 176 yards away though