Rent increases approved by Rotherham Council in bid to fund more social housing
The decision means the average weekly council rent will rise by £6.17 to £101.07
Council housing rents in Rotherham are set to rise from April 2026 after councillors approved a package of increases, including a controversial move to bring lower rents closer in line with national levels.
At a full council meeting on January 14, members backed plans to increase social housing rents by 4.8 per cent, in line with Government policy, with further increases possible for some tenants under a policy known as rent convergence.
The decision means the average weekly council rent will rise by £6.17, from £94.90 to £101.07.
Under rent convergence, properties that are currently rented below a Government-set “formula rent” could see an additional increase of up to £2 per week from 2026/27, depending on a Government announcement expected later this month. The policy is designed to gradually bring rents for similar homes into line with each other over time.
The proposals were approved by a Labour majority, with Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors voting against.
Defending the plans, Linda Beresford, cabinet member for housing, said the Housing Revenue Account, which funds council housing, is ringfenced and receives no money from council tax.
“We believe everybody deserves a safe, warm, decent home,” she told councillors. “The HRA is self-funding and covers everything to do with housing – repairs and maintenance, upgrades like kitchens and bathrooms, building and acquiring new homes, and housing and neighbourhood support.
“We’ve got quite a bit of ageing stock out there, and we really do need to invest in it.”
She said rents in Rotherham had historically been increased below inflation, and in some years reduced, creating long-term challenges as costs and regulatory demands rise.
“We’ve got minimum energy efficiency standards coming up, we want our homes at EPC C, and we’ve got new Decent Homes legislation coming through,” she said. “It’s about doing the right thing for our tenants and driving up quality and safety.”
However, opposition councillors raised concerns about the impact on tenants who pay rent directly.
Liberal Democrat councillor Adam Carter said rent convergence would undo previous efforts to keep rents as low as possible.
“I think it’s clear this decision just undoes all the work of predecessors who tried to keep rents down for council tenants across the borough,” he said.
Conservative councillor Zachary Collingham said his group could not support the proposals.
“It’s not something we can back, we would make different choices,” he said, while praising the cabinet member’s “enthusiasm” for the housing brief.
Labour councillor Victoria Cusworth said the investment plans would make a “huge difference” to residents.
“This level of investment means safer, warmer and more energy-efficient homes for our tenants,” she said.
Council officers said the rent increase would remain within national limits and generate around £5.63 million in additional income in 2026/27, helping to fund improvements to existing homes and the delivery of new council housing.
The authority said most tenants will not see a direct financial impact, with around 15,000 households having their rent covered through Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. Around 4,500 tenants who pay rent from their own income are expected to be affected.
Support will continue to be available for tenants facing financial pressure, including help with benefits, budgeting and debt advice, the council said.
Alongside rent rises, councillors also approved increases to charges for garages, communal facilities and parking spaces, while district heating unit charges will remain unchanged unless energy prices fall.
New rent and service charge letters are due to be sent to tenants in March, ahead of the changes taking effect on April 6, 2026.