Local authority tenants to see 1.3pc rent rise

Council house rents in Stirling are to rise by 1.3 per cent for 2021/22.

The increase, approved by councillors last Thursday, will see the average rent of a council property go up by 98p per week, from £75.77 to £76.75 over a 48-week period.

Council tenants were offered a choice between a 1.3 per cent or 2.1 per cent increase for 2021-22, with the majority (69.1 per cent) backing the lower option.

Officials said the increase would help the council meet the estimated increase in cost pressures for the service.

Councillors rubber-stamped the plans after a motion was passed at a special meeting, where a 1.3 per cent increase in rent prices for garages and pitch sites was also approved.

Speaking after the meeting, housing portfolio holder Councillor Evelyn Tweed said:“Today’s decision means the costs for renting a council house in Stirling remain significantly lower than the average for Scotland.

“While a higher increase would have funded even greater improvements to the local housing stock, we listened to the views of our tenants through our annual consultation and they felt that a lower increase would be helpful at this time.”

Tory housing spokesperson Councillor Martin Earl said, however his group had agreed to the rise“very reluctantly”and would have preferred to see a rent freeze.

He added:“We have called for work to be done in the coming months by the housing service to ensure they are in a position to implement a freeze next year.

“We have not yet seen anything like the full impact of the pandemic on jobs and we should be properly prepared to support tenants by holding rents down in the future. I would also urge all private landlords to make rents as affordable as possible.”