Annual increase in social housing rent has been limited to a maximum of seven per cent to help protect tenants from the cost-of-living crisis.
In the Autumn Statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said that around four million families lived in social housing, which around a fifth of households in England.
He noted that as rents are set at one per cent above the September inflation rate, on current plans rent increases could be in the realm of 11 per cent, and “for many that would just be unaffordable”.
Hunt said that the increase in social rents would be capped to a maximum of seven per cent, which would save the average tenant in the social rented sector £200 next year.
He added that overall saving to the government would be around £630m in the next five years.
Regulatory standard for social housing in the works
Earlier this year, the Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities has opened a consultation to consider setting a regulatory standard for social housing rent.
The potential standard would apply to private registered providers, including housing associations and local authority registered providers.
The options included a three, five or seven per cent ceiling, with the government at the time saying it preferred the five per cent ceiling option.
There are also other updates to the social housing sector in the works, with the Social Housing Regulation Bill in the committee stage in the house of commons.
Measures could potentially include failing social housing landlords facing unlimited fines and Ofsted-style inspections.
Anna is currently the deputy editor for Mortgage Solutions and editor for Specialist Lending Solutions. She has worked as a journalist since 2019, having secured her Gold Standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates in a fast-track six-month course.
She started her career as a report at specialist publication The Insurance Insider covering a wide range of areas before joining Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions in 2021.
In her role, she helps put together and structure the news agenda for the day and writes up press releases, reports, interviews, analyses and exclusives across both titles. She also commissions blogs for Specialist Lending Solutions and hosts online masterclasses and in-person events across the business.
She has been shortlisted for three journalism awards, which include BIBA Journalist and Media Awards Scoop of Year Award in 2020, Headline Money Mortgage Journalist of the Year Award (B2B) in 2022 and 2023.
Prior to being a journalist, Anna worked in ecommerce across Snow + Rock, Cycle Surgery and Runners Need websites, and before that worked at specialist financial PR firm Rostrum.
In her spare time, Anna enjoys reading, seeing live music, and cooking for friends and family. When she gets a chance, she also enjoys hiking, skiing and indoor rock climbing.
