Bromley Council has raised London Affordable Rent and social housing rent levels for its tenants by the maximum amount possible for a local authority.
The change will come into effect from April this year and affect 60 properties in the borough, according to a council spokesperson.
The 7.7 per cent rise will cause weekly rents for one-bedroom properties to go up by £13.87 compared to last year, rising from £180.12 to £193.99.
Two-bedroom homes will see a £14.68 weekly rise, while three-bedroom properties’ rates will increase by £15.50 a week.
The change was approved at an executive meeting for Bromley Council on January 17. Lib Dem Councillor Will Connolly said at the meeting that he objected to the rise and felt it was sending a message to those worst off in the borough.
Cllr Connolly said: “This is about the most vulnerable people in society and those worse off financially and what the council is doing for its own social tenants, and so I will raise my objection to that. It’s way above inflation, I think it’s very unfair.”
The Labour Group had proposed an amendment to the planned rise in social rent at a meeting the night before, which was refused. Labour Councillor Simon Jeal said he appreciated the council’s difficult financial position at the executive meeting on January 17.
Cllr Jeal said: “I understand the position taken by the administration and the concern it has about providing future housing.
“It does represent the ongoing challenge of exactly how the council addresses temporary accommodation problems when the mechanisms for councils are already so difficult in the current climate to actually build.”
The maximum increase is derived from the consumer price index from September last year, which was 6.7 per cent, with an additional one per cent increase added. Conservative Councillor Christopher Marlow, portfolio holder for resources, commissioning and contract management, acknowledged the Labour Group’s proposal but said reducing or delaying the increase would only provide temporary relief to the issue.
Cllr Marlow said at the meeting: “To do so will make it hard for us to build more housing schemes by making them less viable. So it really is a difficult choice, but I think the council’s proposal to raise it by 7.7pc is correct and one I will be supporting.”
