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Rent and Other Charges
How Rent and Other Charges Are Set
The Government has decided that councils and all other social landlords (for example housing associations) need to work out their rent charges in the same way. So the Council has changed the way your rent is set.
As from 7 April 2003 your rent was based on a formula made up of the following elements:-
- property values in the area
- local earnings - average weekly manual wages in the area
- property size - the number of bedrooms in your home
The new formula is to be implemented over a 9 year period. This is to avoid making extreme changes to the rent in any one year.
This new approach means that by 2012 two tenants living in identical properties in the same area should be paying a similar rent, whether the landlord is the council or a housing association. Alternatively two tenants living in indentical properties in different parts of the borough may have different rents.
Local Earnings
The local earnings part of the formula compares the average weekly manual wage in Essex with wages elsewhere in the country. For example, this means that rents in Essex will be lower than those in London. Property valuesColchester Borough Council has almost 7,000 homes and it is not possible to value each one individually. The Council has identified 88 property types (called "beacons") throughout the borough that have been valued by our surveyor. These "beacon" homes have then been used to give a value to every other property that is the same size, type and location. All the council properties have been valued at January 1999 prices. These valuations will not be the same as the ones used for Right to Buy applications.Property size
The number of bedrooms in your home is also used to calculate the rent. The more bedrooms there are, the more the rent will be.What if I disagree with the value set for my home?
If you think the value given to your home may be incorrect we have set up an appeals procedure. You may appeal if you believe that the error in value is more than £5,000. The property will then be re-valued. Your rent will be adjusted either up or down if an appeal is upheld.
The findings of this valuation will be binding on both the Council and the person making the appeal. However, it is worth noting that an appeal could lead to an increase in the value of your home rather than a decrease.
If you wish to register an appeal please contact our Business Support Team on 01206 282562.
Further information on how rents are set can be found on the Colchester Borough Council Website.
Service Charges
From April 2008 your total weekly rent charge will now be made up of basic rent and service charges. In the case of sheltered housing tenants this has existed since 2003. These services have always been included in your rent payment. This new way of charging makes it fairer as you can see what you pay for. More information can be found by downloading this information sheet.
Support Charges
These are your share of the costs of the scheme manager service and Helpline cover. To keep these services affordable for everyone the costs are shared between all the sheltered schemes. This means we are able to keep support charges the same for individuals and couples.
Scheme manager
Sheltered housing tenants are encouraged to maintain their independence through the support of a scheme manager - someone who can provide help when needed. The amount charged for this service depends on exactly what sort of help is provided at the scheme and how often it is available.
Helpline charges
Helpline is Colchester Borough Council’s emergency call service open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. All our sheltered and linked properties are connected to Helpline. This means help is always at hand at the press of a button. You may pay an additional charge if you would like to have a pendant as well as the main alarm.
Supporting People Grant
If you receive housing benefit then the support and Helpline charges described above are paid for by the Government’s Supporting People Grant. It is paid by Essex County Council and goes directly to your rent account.
