Council House Rents To Rise for 2019/20

22nd January 2019

The Care Learning and Housing committee will consider a 3% rise in council rents at its meeting on Thursday 24th January in Inverness. If approved there it will be passed to local area committees for a final approval. In Caithness like all other areas more decisions will be passed to local areas but in reality local councillors have very difficult task to say not to increases unless they can suggest other savings in the overall budget for Caithness.

A 3% rent increase is recommended for 2019/20. Draft estimates on that basis are summarised in Appendix 1. A rent increase of 3% would result in an increase in the average weekly council house rent from £73.22 to £75.42 (£2.20 per week).

Garage Rents will rise by 29 pence per week.

Over 2000 tenants in receipt universal credit are in arrears averaging £716 per household.

The full paper Housing Revenue Account Estimates 2019/20 can be seen at -

https://www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/4074/care_learning_and_housing_committee_formerly_the_people_committee