News

Rent Rise Announced For Council Tenants

Thursday January 19 2012

COUNCIL tenants will see their rents rise by an average of £5.77 a week, it has been announced today.

The rise will come in from April and is due to the Government’s rent restructuring policy.

Spokesman Coun Tim Cheetham, Cabinet Spokesperson, Development, Environment and Culture (Strategy, Programmes and Projects), said: "We would not be doing this if we had any choice, but we are simply unable to maintain rents at the artificially low levels they have been at.

"We've been able to do this historically to support the market and people who rent, but the new finance arrangements introduced by the coalition government make that impossible now."

The council says rents for tenants are still lower than those of the private rented sector - they are £30 less on average.

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Reply Posted by Vikky on Thursday January 19 2012 at 10:54

since our home was adapted for our disabled child the rent has been soo high were only just staying afloat if they up it anymore were screwed!!

Reply Posted by Louise Harper on Thursday January 19 2012 at 10:58

So crap Mrs S. Im only just moving into council house so this is the 1st ive heard of this. Hope it aint any more than it is. I moved out of Private cos it was too expensive and been waiting years for c house

Reply Posted by dawn collinson on Thursday January 19 2012 at 11:09

This absoloutly stinks!! Rent goes up but the services they give us go down?? I went 38 hours without any heating last week before they came n did a bodge job..i have two small children. my draws in the kitchen fell to peices they came n botched them with wood n 50 screws instead of just replacing them. some people can just about afford to pay there rent and a extra 24 pounds a month is ridiculos!! I can just about afford to pay my rent as it stands now let alone another rise but why do they need to put it up that much, bills go up but they seem to forget peoples wages doesnt and were already struggling in this resession to start with...

Reply Posted by GuestyMcguest on Thursday January 19 2012 at 11:17

Council still does rennovations to houses that have been bought by the tennants, I know someone that has had new double glazing and doors, insulation and a new wall and drive over the last couple of years, he laughs about it, he doesn't even have to do anything they just offer stuff to him, he'd be daft to turn it down I suppose. Maybe the council should stop doing silly things like that and maybe they would save some brass.

Reply Posted by Rach Jordan on Friday January 20 2012 at 10:09

why should the council pay for your new kitchen? ridiculous, probably didnt even attempt to fix it yourself or even take care of it while it was in working order, people like you are the reason the rents will be going up anyway.

Reply Posted by .............. on Friday January 20 2012 at 11:27

With half the council housing at below the government recommended standard, requiring extensive work, how on earth can someone sleep at night knowing that the council are paying for improvements to a property that has nothing to do with them, yet arent looking after the tenants they have? Digusting!

Reply Posted by DJ Johne on Friday January 20 2012 at 12:01

No choice??? BMBC's choice was to increase council house rents rather than look at other ways of reducing the debt and then go on to blame others for their 'bad' choice

Reply Posted by DJ Johne on Friday January 20 2012 at 12:04

P.S.

“We’ve been able to do this historically to support the market and people who rent, but the new finance arrangements introduced by the coalition government make that impossible now.”

Cllr Cheetham - Q. What are the new financial arrangements?

Reply Posted by Terry newton on Friday January 20 2012 at 17:07

Is it just barnsley council thats affected by this governments restructuring policy....it would be nice to see how neighbouring authorities are going to manage....can anyone in wab land please find out and let us know, thank you.

Reply Posted by Harvester1 on Saturday January 28 2012 at 23:57

perhaps the interest rate for mortgages should be raised by eight percent as well . should home owners be evicted and their propety seized if members of their family were involved in the recent riots . council tenants are an easy target. most council tenants are hard working and have no debt. keeping interest rates low affects savers who have no debt. home owners are few in the uk. most homes are owned only in name as their occupants are hundreds of thousands in debt..i am a home owner no debt but i can smell discrimination a mile off.