Hounslow Council Confirms Rent Rise for Tenants
7.7% increase comes along with increase in fuel and services charges
The Brentford Towers. Picture: Maxwell Hamilton
February 23, 2024
Hounslow Council has approved a budget that will increase rents for tens of thousands of people across the borough, alongside a rise in service charges and council tax. While the proposal to raise social rents by 7.7 per cent was approved by the cabinet back in January, the surge has been enshrined in the council’s budget which was passed on Tuesday (February 20).
Although many people in Hounslow’s 13,100 council properties will receive a 100 per cent discount on council tax, some could be hit by the budget’s increases to both rents and tax. With a 4.99 per cent rise in council tax also approved as well as larger charges for certain services, residents could see monthly costs skyrocket.
Average social rents are set to jump by nearly £10 a week from £121.23 to £130.56 however rent varies based on the property’s valuation, type, and location. Set to come into force in April the budget also solidifies other service changes and charge increases agreed in January.
This includes increases in communal electricity prices which will rise by 20 per cent and gas and electricity consumption charges are set to increase by 6.7 per cent. Charges for caretaking and cleaning services will also spike with the proposed 11.9 per cent agreed at the last cabinet meeting included in the budget.
The freehold service charge management fee is set to rise to £347 per property, with reduced fees for those receiving fewer services. Additionally, there will be a 6.7% increase in garage rents for tenants, leaseholders, and private lets.
The council is the freeholder for around 3,000 leasehold properties. Together with council houses, these represent roughly one in seven of the borough’s total housing stock of around 108,300 properties.
They are home to around 67,000 people, nearly one in four of the borough’s population. The rent hikes will see rental income grow by £7.8m, a move that helps cover budget shortfalls.
Even with the increases, the council still fell short of balancing the budget and has had to resort to dipping into reserves. In order to avoid cuts to frontline services council leader Shantanu Rajawat approved the use of £10.5m from the local authority’s historic savings.
Rory Bennett - Local Democracy Reporter