The following was printed in Inside Housing 08.10.04

Letters Page
Inside Housing

04.10.04

The consultation around the rent restructuring review has indeed been deficient (letters - Inside Housing 01.10.04). 2 of the aims of rent restructuring relate to tenants, i.e. 'to achieve rents that are fair and that reflect the qualities tenants value in their homes', yet none were involved in the review. And despite requests to the ODPM for representation from the London Tenants Federation (LTF) and other tenant organisations.

There are regional differences in the effects of rent restructuring, which have not been address by the review. Rents that reflect local property values simply mean higher social housing rents in London. As if this alone isn't enough, the ODPM seems happy to propose in the review, the adoption of property valuations made by housing associations that are 22% higher than had been expected. The combined result will mean average rent increases of £40 a month for London tenants and almost double that amount in some boroughs by 2011/12.

Has the ODPM actually found any London tenants who think this is 'fair or reflects the qualities that we value in our homes'?

It is also difficult to see that the proposals in the review will help to achieve the other 2 aims of rent restructuring - 'affordability and harmonisation of council and RSL rents'. In London there will be no harmonisation - indeed RSL tenants will suffer higher rent increases than council tenants. When more than 60% of social housing tenants already have to claim benefit to meet the cost of their rents, it is difficult to see that hiking rents up further can help achieve 'affordability'.

Helen Cagnoni
Federation of Islington Tenants Associations LTF member

More on Rent Restructuring

• LTF response to the ODPM's 3 Year Rent Restructuring Review consultation
• LTF (full) briefing on the ODPM's 3 Year Rent Restuructruing Review.
• LTF (short) briefing on the ODPM's 3 Year Rent Restructuring Review
• LTF Letter to the ODPM March '04 re failure to engage tenants in the 3 Year Rent Restructruing Review
• Rent Restructuring update - June '03
• LTF Letter to Lord Rooker May '03 - requesting involvement in the ODMP's 3 Year Rent Restructuring Review
• Rent Restructuring and Service Charges - LTF Briefing - September 2002
• LTF response to ODPM consultation on seperating service charges from rents - September 2002

From the press

• Blair ordered rent rise halt (Inside Housing 03.12.04)
• Government failing to include tenants'voice (Property People 07.10.04)
• LTF letter (Property People 30.09.04)
• London Tenants talk of 'social cleansing' fears (Property People 23.09.04)
• Council tenants launch protest over rent changes (The Guardian 23.09.04)
• Government 'covered up rent rises' (The Guardian 02.09.04)
• Council tenants face increased rent (The Guardian 14.07.04)
• Tenants angry over exclusion from ODPM review (Inside Housing 09.07.03)
• Rent formula set to survive review (Inside Housing 11.04.03)