Your rent
The rent you pay goes towards managing and maintaining Council homes, as well as investing in our communities and providing support to you – our tenants. Your rent is due every Monday and if you choose to pay fortnightly or monthly, it will need to be paid in advance.
We will review your rent each year. If it goes up, we will write to you at least four weeks in advance of the increase. Any rent increases usually start in the first week of April.
From 3 April 2023, due to high levels of inflation over the preceding 18 months, rents will increase by 7%. This is the highest level of rent increase permitted in line with the Government guidelines for setting social housing rent.
Your weekly rent is made up of:
- basic rent
- service charges
- heating and hot water charges
Basic rent
This is the rental charge for your home. It is reviewed each year and any increase meets strict guidelines set by the Government. This charge also depends on the value and size of the property and the facilities within it.
Service charges
These are charges 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 the rent increase letter we send you annually or at any other time when there is a change to the amount you need to pay.
Please note that from September 2019, tenants have had to pay 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 3rd August 2017 (or the end of a tenancy if that’s 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.
Your responsibilities for paying rent are set out in your tenancy agreement. These are also outlined in your tenant handbook.
Struggling to pay your rent?
Your rent is one of the most important payments you will need to make but we appreciate that there might be many reasons why managing your finances can becomes 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.