Lambeth increases the rent of council tenancies by £60-£75 PER WEEK

[editor]

I've set up a cut'n'paste letter for residents to send to councillors/MP

Residents of Southwyck House have just been given four week's notice that their rent will be going up by £50 to £76 PER WEEK as a result of a huge increase in service charges.

Most of this is for heating over which residents have no control over: there are no individual meters installed in households so everyone has to pay whatever figure Lambeth demand.

Moreover, because Lambeth has decided not to install thermostat timers, it's impossible for residents to turn off their heating even if they wanted to.

This increase is completely unaffordable for many of the families on the estate, some of whom are already dependent on foodbanks. What hardship grants that are offered by Lambeth come nowhere near covering this huge increase, so it's going to plunge people into debt and quite possibly homelessness.

It is totally unacceptable to impose such a huge rent increase on residents with no consultation so I look forward to your immediate response.

Yours sincerely,

 

[andysays]

That's crazy. Like I expect that kind of thing from private landlords but not a council. Do they usually only give 4 weeks notice?

My landlord is Haringey Council, and they haven't yet given me notice of rent increase for next year, so it will be less than 4 weeks notice when it finally comes.

 

[andysays]

That's crazy. Like I expect that kind of thing from private landlords but not a council. Do they usually only give 4 weeks notice?

My landlord is Haringey Council, and they haven't yet given me notice of rent increase for next year, so it will be less than 4 weeks notice when it finally comes.

 

[marty21]

My landlord is Haringey Council, and they haven't yet given me notice of rent increase for next year, so it will be less than 4 weeks notice when it finally comes.

Council rents change on the 1st Monday in April, so they've cut it a bit fine with you.

 

[Gramsci]

There's a very long explanation about why Croydon's Council is struggling. Here's the report from Richard Penn. Jo Negrini, one time Director of Regeneration in Lambeth, and then (former) Chief Executive of Croydon, doesn't come out of it well.

It's a long read, but some of the detail is priceless.

The Penn report 2023

Looking at point 13.5 on page 123 and that is good thumbnail sketch of why Cllrs liked Negrini and why residents/ those working under her didn't.

All sounds believable to me. From my memories of her as Brixton Town centre manager

 

[Gramsci]

I've set up a cut'n'paste letter for residents to send to councillors/MP

This is good letter.

I'd also say follow up some of ideas from the action group and Citizen Advice I posted up earlier.

 

[newme]

Ours just went up 7% and heating isn't included but it is way less than that fir a 3 bed.

 

[Gramsci]

My rent in Lambeth went up 7%. This is in line with government guidelines. As mine is street property I do not have Editors problem with communal heating.

Im not to unhappy. Its about ten pounds more per week. If that means Council housing will be maintained properly that is ok by me.
Previous years my rent has gone down. Which is I think ploy of the Tories to make Council housing unsustainable.

However I think I will now start moaning more to Council on various issues with my flat.

I got a very good new boiler by moaning recently.

What I think is to be opposed is Councils hiking up energy prices on back of "War in Ukraine".

 

[editor]

My rent in Lambeth went up 7%. This is in line with government guidelines.

Im not to unhappy. Previous years my rent has gone down. Which is I think ploy of the Tories to make Council housing unsustainable.

What I think is to be opposed is Councils hiking up energy prices on back of "War in Ukraine".

Well I'm glad you're not too unhappy with your 7% rent rise. You should feel lucky.

My rent went up by the same amount too but then came with the sting of all the service charges, which have rised from £55 week to £124 a week.

For low paid workers, this is a fucking killer.

 

[Gramsci]

Well I'm glad you're not too unhappy with your 7% rent rise. You should feel lucky.

My rent went up by the same amount too but then came with the sting of all the service charges, which have rised from £55 week to £124 a week.

For low paid workers, this is a fucking killer.

I do feel lucky. Being on a street property. When I got my letter from Council I see all the ways Council fleece people over service charges.

Which do not apply to me.

I clean my own steps to flat. Perhaps I should charge Lambeth.

I have every sympathy for you and the residents on your block.

Which is why posted up about Fuel Poverty Action and Citizens Advice.

As reading it I think it is ( time consuming) but worth following up.

 

[savoloysam]

Just had my (biggest) annual increase. 10% (just over £60 a month)

 

[xenon]

If I've understood correctly, it's a £240 increase, over and above what rent and electric payments people are already paying.

For comparison, I'm paying a total of £196 per month for gas and electricity in my one bedroom flat, which is still way too much, but (fortunately) just about manageable.

Yes you're right. Mad, as I was paying less than that a quarter. 240 plus what ever they're now paying.

 

[Gramsci]

Well I'm glad you're not too unhappy with your 7% rent rise. You should feel lucky.

My rent went up by the same amount too but then came with the sting of all the service charges, which have rised from £55 week to £124 a week.

For low paid workers, this is a fucking killer.

I was not to unhappy as I know a lot of people who rent privately.

I have a pre payment meter for gas. Which is my heating. Over this winter its been starting to worry me.

I ran out of gas once recently. I had put a lot on the pre pay meter. But when it was cold the meter was eating up the money at an alarming rate. I did not realise as assumed it would last. And it didn't

I was spending like ten pound a day on weekends. When both of us were at home.

Over Christmas When I was not working was using more than double than last year. Quite scary.

 

[xenon]

My weekly rent is going up from £157 to £234 - so that's an increase of over £300 every month.

Residents have been given just four weeks notice.

Absolutely fucked up. Dunno if there's much I can do outside of Lambeth but will happily sign a petition, add comments to something, chip into any campaign lame as all that sounds.

 

[xenon]

If energy charges come down over next year , then this time next year there will be a big decrease in your weekly charge (rent + service charges) . The rent bit will go up by maybe 8/9% (watch for the inflation rate in Sept) but the heating charge should reduce , depending on how much Lambeth pays for gas .

No help this year I know.

That's the thing though. If you haven't got it now, next year's a bit irrelevant. I know you know, just underlining.

 

[newme]

That's the thing though. If you haven't got it now, next year's a bit irrelevant. I know you know, just underlining.

Also I am not on communal heating and just bought a years worth for a 3 bed semi that costs less than 1/4 of a year than this lowest stated rent increase.

 

[pbsmooth]

here it is in all its gory

Wow. So that's about 4x less what private renters have to pay.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

though i do wonder why we have tv aerial charge when there is no aerial on the roof?

minor in persective of this thread, but may be worth asking them if the are sure. i'm a council leaseholder and noticed my service charge included a fairly modest sum for communal TV aerial maintenance. when i asked how i connected to it, they said 'oops, we'll take that off the bill' or words to that effect.

I've set up a cut'n'paste letter for residents to send to councillors/MP

just a thought - the line

Residents of Southwyck House have just been given four week's notice that their rent will be going up by £50 to £76 PER WEEK as a result of a huge increase in service charges.

could be open to misinterpretation - i know what you mean (that the increase is between 50 and 76 quid a week) but it could be read that the rent is 26 quid a week at the moment (that was how i read it at first then realised that couldn't be right)

'by between 50 and 76 a week' might be clearer?

 

[Gramsci]

Wow. So that's about 4x less what private renters have to pay.

So what is your point?

 

[emanymton]

Well I'm glad you're not too unhappy with your 7% rent rise. You should feel lucky.

My rent went up by the same amount too but then came with the sting of all the service charges, which have rised from £55 week to £124 a week.

For low paid workers, this is a fucking killer.

How fucking much? Do they do all you cooking and cleaning for you or something. That is insane.

My total rent is less than that.

 

[Lurdan]

Used to be a communal heating system in my block in Tower Hamlets, but thankfully it was decommissioned and removed just before I moved in. (Just left a superhighway network for the cockroaches). Looking at the leaflet I got people round here in buildings with communal heating are also getting a big increase.

 

[DaphneM]

I would be over the moon paying a grand a month tbh

 

[nagapie]

I would be over the moon paying a grand a month tbh

Oh this old trope, lucky people living in social housing on benefits.

 

[Tulster218]

Oh this old trope, lucky people living in social housing on benefits.

There's a massive waiting list.

 

[nagapie]

There's a massive waiting list.

So? That's because we have so many people in need despite being one of the richest countries in the world.
It doesn't mean people should count themselves lucky to have access to social housing or that they shouldn't complain because it's still cheaper than the commercial market which is absolute unmasked thievery.

 

[Mr Retro]

I would be over the moon paying a grand a month tbh

I know. He’s only been paying £680 or so a month until now. When I moved to Brixton in 2001 our rent was £700 a month for an average 1 bed.

 

[editor]

I would be over the moon paying a grand a month tbh

This thread isn't about you and I'm not going to let you indulge your usual shitty trolling either. User banned from 'contributing' further.

 

[editor]

I know. He’s only been paying £680 or so a month until now. When I moved to Brixton in 2001 our rent was £700 a month for an average 1 bed.

This thread is about long term council tenants struggling to find a way to pay huge weekly increase. For many people on my estate it's going to catapult them into deep debt.

The thread is categorically not about how much loaded incomers like you were able to throw around twenty years ago.

 

[Mr Retro]

When I arrived in Brixton my first job was collecting glasses in Arch 635 in Clapham North.

 

[editor]

When I arrived in Brixton my first job was collecting glasses in Arch 635 in Clapham North.

This thread isn't about you, your job, your wealth or your accommodation twenty years ago. It's about social housing tenants - some of whom are already using feed banks to survive - being hit with a fucking huge rent increase.

If you have nothing meaningful to contribute to that discussion, kindly leave the thread.