Edinburgh council house rents: Tenants asked for views on how money is spent

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City leaders are asking Edinburgh council tenants what they think about how their rent is spent.

The council agreed earlier this year that council house rents should rise by 7 per cent every year for the next five years, starting in April 2024. It’s a longer-term strategy which the authority argues gives tenants more certainty about the rent they pay and helps the council better plan spending to improve homes and services.

Council tennts in Edinburgh are being invited to give their views on prioritiesCouncil tennts in Edinburgh are being invited to give their views on priorities
Council tennts in Edinburgh are being invited to give their views on priorities | Getty Images

Councillors also agreed to continue the Tenant Hardship Fund which offers financial support to tenants struggling to make rent payments.

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And the council agreed a £3.8 billion 10-year capital investment programme to build new homes and improve existing homes and surrounding areas.

Now they are holding a consultation with tenants, asking how they would prioritise the spending.

A document circulated as part of the consultation outlines core commitments the council aims to deliver on, including improving housing management and maintenance services; building new council homes to meet housing need; making homes more energy efficient; improving mixed tenure blocks to make all council tenancies warm, energy efficient, modern and secure; improving council estates; and supporting large scale regeneration.

A questionnaire invites tenants to rank these commitments in order of priority and offer any comments.

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Almost all the funding for housing comes from rents. And in the consultation the council provides tenants with a breakdown of how each pound of rent revenue was spent in the 2023/24 financial year:

• 35p to repay the borrowing for building new homes and improving existing ones.

• 29p repairing and maintaining the city’s 20,000 council homes.

• 12p for employee costs, including concierge teams and housing officers..

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• 11p on supplies and services provided by other parts of the council and/or contractors, such as grass cutting and pest control.

• 7p for support services from other council departments, such as Finance, Human Resources, and the Contact Centre helpline.

• 6p on premises costs, running the offices and other places used by staff.

• 1p for contingency and savings accounts

Tenants are being urged to take part in the consultation by visiting the consultation hub. And they get the chance to win a £100 shopping voucher by completing the online survey. The deadline for the consultation is November 29, 2024.

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Housing convener Jane Meagher said: “We’re determined to provide a better service to our tenants, improve their homes, and build more places for people to live because everyone deserves a suitable and affordable place to call home.

“That’s why we want to make sure as many people as possible have the opportunity to share their views on how we spend and invest in their homes, neighbourhoods, and services. I’d urge every tenant to visit our website and share their priorities for how they’d like their rent to be spent.”

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