Council house rent setting

 Council tenants in Dundee have backed the lowest proposed increase of the three options presented to them in the annual rent consultation.

After a two-month consultation exercise, almost 63% of the 2073 tenants who responded opted for a 4.5% rise, equal to an average increase of £3.92 per week.

A report to the council’s city governance committee asks councillors to approve the change, which would come into effect from April 7 this year.

Mark Flynn, committee convener said: “Against a background of challenging financial circumstances for many of our tenants we feel that this level of increase provides the best balance between continuing to deliver high quality services while keeping a close eye on affordability. 

“This proposed rent level will enable us to continue vital work such as the provision of the existing housing repairs service, external cyclical maintenance, and at the same time reduce the number of households in fuel poverty.” 

Kevin Cordell, convener of the council’s neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee added: “A 4.5% rent rise will mean we can continue to maintain and invest in our current housing stock, in line with what our tenants want, and provide additional resources to undertake extra borrowing that will fund priorities in our capital investment plan such as buying more properties on the open market.

“Our environmental improvement programme in neighbourhoods across the city will also continue to be supported as a way of generating a strong sense of pride and satisfaction in communities.”

Almost 20% of the council’s tenants responded to the annual rent survey which ran during November and December last year.

Registered Tenants Organisations (RTOs) and Dundee Federation of Tenants Association (DFTA) were also consulted as part of the process. 

The city governance committee meets on Monday (January 20).