Pay your rent
Your weekly rent is made up of:
- basic rent
- service charges
- heating and hot water charges
Your responsibilities for paying rent are set out in your tenancy agreement. These are also outlined in your tenant handbook.
The rent you pay goes towards:
- managing and maintaining council homes
- investing in our communities
- providing support to you, our tenants
Your rent is due every Monday and, if you choose to pay fortnightly or monthly, needs to be paid in advance.
Manage your rent online
You can manage your rent account online. Register or sign-in to online housing services. If you need help using this online service, please visit our Online Housing Services Help page.
Basic rent
This is the rental charge for your home. This charge depends on the value and size of the property and the facilities within it. Your rent is reviewed each year and any increase meets strict guidelines set by the government.
Service charges
Service charges are for shared facilities in your building/estate such as:
- cleaning
- grounds maintenance
- communal electricity (e.g. for lighting)
- caretaking
- concierge service (if applicable)
- CCTV (if applicable)
Heating and hot water charges
These costs are for communal heating where it is shared with other households. If heating and hot water is not shared, you will pay for your energy directly to the utility supplier.
The separate amounts which make up the total weekly charge are shown in your annual rent increase letter or other letters related to your rent charges.
From September 2019, tenants have paid for their water directly to Thames Water instead of the charge being included within their rent. If you were a Kensington and Chelsea council tenant in the period between April 2006 (or the start of a tenancy if that is later) to 3 August 2017 (or the end of a tenancy if that is earlier), you may qualify for a water rebate.
Calculating your rent and changes in charges
We are responsible for calculating your rent. Your rent is based on the value of your home, the average income for the area and is set in accordance with government guidelines. The higher the value of your property, the higher the amount of rent you will pay.
To protect you from large rent increases, the government has capped the amount your rent can increase in any one year.
Rent reviews
Every year we review the rent and write to you to let you know of any changes at least four weeks before they happen. Any rent increases usually start in the first week of April. On 1 April 2025, your rent rose by 2.7 per cent. This is based on the government’s formula for setting rent which allows an increase of inflation (which was 1.7 per cent when the calculation was made), plus 1 per cent. This increase is in common with other London band registered housing providers.
We know that any increase in rent can be difficult, and we want to assure you that careful consideration was given to this. This year’s increase will help us ensure that we are able to continue to provide services for residents. This includes our ongoing capital work programme which will improve the safety, security and sustainability of the homes we manage.
Struggling to pay your rent?
Your rent is one of the most important payments you will need to make. We appreciate there might be many reasons why managing your finances can become challenging.
Our priority is to keep you feeling safe and secure in your home. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, we can help. Remember, the sooner you tell us, the faster we can offer support. We have continued our Tenancy Sustainment Fund for residents in need. Each household can access up to £500. Find out more about available support and benefits.