Angus Council tenants facing 3.1% rent rise for coming year

A 3.1% rent increase is on the cards for Angus council house tenants.

Proposals going before councillors today recommend a hike which would see the average weekly rent rise to £70.79 – up £2.23 from last year.

Officials say the planned increase will maintain Angus rents as some of the most affordable in the country.

However, they have issued a two-pronged warning over the pressure new-build capital projects have put on staff and local contractors, as well as the “significant” investment which will be required to bring Angus stock up to ambitious carbon targets in the coming decades.

The future could see closer partnerships with private developers for “off the shelf” houses to bolster council stock.

Around 80 new homes will welcome tenants this year, after 55 new-builds in the past two years.

Over the five-year period from 2017-18 the council hopes to deliver 275 new homes.

The committee report states: “Delivering a new build programme remains a priority, however it is anticipated this will be supplemented through other mechanisms for increasing the council’s stock in the future, building on the open market acquisition scheme and the recent purchase of new-build units from a private developer.”

Social housing providers have been set a 2032 milestone of their homes being at a Band B energy efficiency rating, with a ban on properties below Band D agreed from the end of 2025.

The report adds: “Less than 3% of the council’s stock is below EPC Band D which indicates progress towards the December 2025 milestone.”