Average council house rent increase to be pegged at 2%

The Highland Council’s Finance Housing and Resources Committee, which meets on Wednesday, is being recommended to contain the average weekly rent increase to 2%. This will see the average rent rising from £68.99 to £70.37, an increase of £1.38.

A 2% increase will also be applied to hostel rents, gypsy/traveller site pitches, garage and garage sites as well as caretaking and CCTV services.

Councillor Dave Fallows, Chair of the Finance Housing and Resources Committee, said:  “We have listened to tenants and our Housing and Property Service has made efficiencies which for the fourth year running has allowed us to contain the increase to below inflation.  This is good news for our tenants.

"It also allows us to maintain the progress in bringing all our council houses up to Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015 and to extend our council house building programme.”

In 2014-15, the Council will spend £15.577 million on repairs and maintenance of its stock of 13,500 council houses. It also plans to invest £17.5 million in improvements to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard for existing houses and £23 million to build new Council houses.