When might my rent or charges increase

We review rent and service charge amounts every year based on your tenancy agreement and on national government guidance. We’ll tell you if your rent and other costs are changing, what they’ll be and when they start.

Here’s some information on what’s happening from April 2024, which is when the new charges come into effect.

Extra payment during a 53 week year

There are 53 Mondays in 2024/25, which means your rent will be charged 53 times instead of 52.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said it won’t pay any extra Universal Credit to cover this. This means that if you receive Universal Credit you will need to pay a little extra each week to ensure your rent is covered and you don’t fall into arrears. There's more information on this page of what you need to do.

You can work out what you will need to pay by multiplying your weekly rent by 53. Divide that number by 12. This will give you your monthly rent payment for this year.

If you need help with this, please let us know.

Do I need to do anything?

  • If you pay by direct debit you don’t need to do anything. We’ll send the new direct debit schedule in the post.
  • If you pay by standing order, you’ll need to change the amount to the charges shown on your letter. 
  • If you pay online, using the automated telephone line or through another method, you’ll need to pay the new weekly amount.

How do I work out my payments?

  • If you pay weekly, then you pay the weekly amount.
  • If you pay calendar monthly (on the same date each month) it’s 53 times your weekly rent divided by 12.

What if I owe you money for my rent?

If you’ve made an arrangement to pay off the debt, add that amount to your new payment – be careful to include the debt in your calculations.

If you haven’t made an arrangement to pay, please contact us.

Confirm your housing costs with Universal Credit

Customers on Universal Credit will have a 'confirm your housing costs' task outstanding in your Universal Credit to-do list.

Important! Please wait until the date your new rent takes effect to complete this task.

In February we sent you a letter with the date of your increase. Please wait until this date to complete the task. The date will usually be:

  • 1 April 2024 for those that pay rent monthly
  • 1 or 8 April 2024 for all other rent frequencies

But please check your letter first, otherwise your payments could be delayed.

The easiest way to notify Universal Credit of your rent change is to sign in to your Universal Credit account. 

53 week rent year and Universal Credit (extra payment)

Universal Credit pays over 52 weeks. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said it won’t pay any extra Universal Credit to cover the 53 week year. This means that if you receive Universal Credit you will need to pay a little extra each week to ensure your rent is covered and you don’t fall into arrears.

You can work out what you will need to pay by multiplying your weekly rent by 53. Divide that number by 12. This will give you your monthly rent payment for this year.

If your rent doesn't increase in April

Some of our rents don’t increase until May. If this applies to you, confirm ‘no increase’ on the screen below and update your journal using the ‘change of circumstances’ function to notify Universal Credit of your rent increase when it comes into effect.

We're therefore advising customers to use the “Change of circumstances” function to notify Universal Credit of your rent increase.

I can’t afford to pay my rent and/or charges, what can I do?

If you’re struggling to pay your rent and/or charges, please tell us straight away. We can check your income and help you budget. 

Your rent must be paid, and we’ll take legal action when necessary, but we prefer to work with you to sort out payments.

How is my rent increase worked out?

Rent and service charge amounts are reviewed each year, based on the tenancy agreement terms and government guidance.

Our rents will go up based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) from September 2023, or the Retail Prices Index (RPI) for January 2024. Most tenancy will state which is used, where the tenancy does not say, we use September CPI.

For shared ownership customers, we use the formula set out in the lease.

Details of your individual increases are included in your letter.

What if I pay my rent using housing benefit?

If you claim housing benefit, you must tell the local council housing benefit section if your charges are changing, and any changes to your circumstances, such as if someone has moved into or out of your home, or if your wages have changed.

We’re able to advise Medway Council about your rent changes, but we are currently unable to notify other local authorities. If your rent is more than your housing benefit, you must pay the difference to us each week. 

If you have an arrangement to pay any rent you owe us, you need to carry on paying the debt.

When should I pay my rent?

Your tenancy agreement states that payments should be made ‘in advance’. 

If your payments are currently paid in arrears, please contact us. We’re happy for you to make the payments weekly or monthly, whichever suits your budget best. 

My direct debit has changed, but my rent hasn’t, why?

If you owe us money for your rent, we’ll increase your direct debit by an amount agreed with you (or the court) to pay off the debt.

If you’re paying in arrears, we’ll increase your direct debit over the course of the year so that your account doesn’t go into debt.

We’ll write to you to let you know if we’ve done either of these things.

Direct debit is the easiest way to pay your rent, the money automatically comes out of your account, so you don’t have to worry. We’ll give you at least 10 days notice of any change to your direct debit amounts.

Do I pay service charges?

If you pay service charges they’ll be listed on any letters we send you that tell you about changes to your rent.

Service charges cover things like communal lighting, communal water, communal cleaning, looking after the grounds and so on.

What about my garage rent?

Garage rents are charged weekly. We will collect 53 week rent this year.

You can work out what you will need to pay by multiplying your weekly rent by 53. Divide that number by 12. This will give you your monthly rent payment for this year.

You should pay on the same day each month (either at the beginning or the end).