Increase in council house rent on Powys agenda
Council house rents in Powys will increase by nearly £2.50 per week from April if a funding recommendation is approved by the county council’s cabinet.
The £2.42 increase represents a 2.7 per cent increase for the council’s 5,375 houses and is necessary to fund the service and investment in the housing stock, according to Powys County Council.
The increase is the lower end of the target rent set by the Welsh Government.
Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Housing, and Regulatory Services, Councillor James Evans, said: “This year’s increase is far less than last year but is necessary to strike a balance between affordability for tenants and allowing the council to continue to provide affordable, energy efficient and well-maintained houses.
“The increase will help fund the council’s investment programme providing 250 new homes in the county and maintaining the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.
“Council rents in Powys are among the lowest of any landlord working in the county yet offer tenants the most security. The council receives virtually no day-to-day subsidy from the government for its housing service but next year will invest more than £20m in both existing and new homes.”
The cabinet will also be asked to increase charges for services, such as grounds maintenance, communal cleaning, heating, washing lines, tv aerials, sewerage treatment and fire safety work. The increase will be set at three per cent.
Rents for council garages will be increased by the same rate adding just over £1 a week to the charge.
The increases will be considered by the cabinet on Tuesday.
