3.8pc rise in Sandwell Council rents revealed
Rents for Sandwell Council tenants are set to rise by 3.8 per cent, it was revealed today, in moves that would see thousands of tenants pay around £150 extra a year.
Cash-strapped Sandwell Council, which must make cuts of £100 million by 2017, said it has no option but to increase charges for residents. Bosses have said they plan to keep the rise below the Government's guideline.
The move would affect around 29,000 families.
Bosses are being recommended to approve an average rent rise of 3.8 per cent increase from April at a meeting in the coming weeks.
Councillor Steve Eling, the authority's deputy leader and finance chief, said: "We don't want to have to put rents up – but we have no choice.
"We are looking to keep the rise as low as we possibly can.
"If we'd followed Government guidelines for rent increases this year, we'd be looking at a 4.6 per cent rise. However, we think that's excessive so we are proposing to keep it well below that at 3.8 per cent, which is the minimum we can get away with."
If approved, rent rises will vary depending on the size of their home. The average increase would be around £3.19 extra per week over a 48-week rent year – an extra £153.12 a year.
