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Tenant Consultations
Rent Consultation 2025/26
Tenant Satisfaction Survey Feedback
As part of our recent annual Tenant Satisfaction survey, we asked tenants what your priorities are for your homes in terms of rental costs, services provided and ongoing investment. The feedback from this survey is taken into consideration as part of our annual rent consultation process. We also asked what areas tenants were feeling the most pressure around cost of living. As you can see from the table below, the main impact on tenants in 2023/24 hasn’t been rents, but rather increases in food and energy costs:
Are you struggling with any of the folowing? Tick all that apply
| No. of responses | Percentage (%) | |
| Energy costs | 220 | 25.2 |
| Food costs | 135 | 15.5 |
| Rent payments | 46 | 5.3 |
| Council tax | 25 | 2.9 |
| Travel costs | 22 | 2.5 |
| Child-related costs | 21 | 2.4 |
| Cost of Socialising | 10 | 1.1 |
| Debt repayments | 4 | 0.5 |
| Other | 3 | 0.3 |
| None | 607 | 69.5 |
Feedback from the survey indicated that, while affordable rents are important, we should maintain current services and investment by not having lower than planned rent increases. As you can see in the results below, the majority of WSHA tenants want the Association to ensure services and investment in their homes are protected by not having lower rents:
| Tenant preferences - low rents vs. quality services and investments | Prefer lower rents | Balance between both | Prefer high-quality homes and services |
| Low rents vs. high quality homes | 23% | 23% | 54% |
| Low rents vs. high quality repairs service | 22% | 28% | 50% |
| Low rents vs. high quality housing service | 23% | 23% | 54% |
We also asked about the value for money they feel their rent represents. The table below shows that 92% in total feel our rent is very good or fairly good value for money, the highest for several years:
Do you think your rent for this property represents good or poor value for money?
Cost of living crisis
The cost of living crisis has had a negative impact on all of us. Recognising this, to maintain affordability of rents, WSHA has increased rents by less than inflation over three of the last five years, rather than our Business Plan assumption of inflation +1%. The table below illustrates the rent increases applied over recent years against inflation:
| 2020/2021 | 2021/22 | 2022/2023 | 2023/2024 | 2024/25 | |
| Inflation | 1.5% | 0.7% | 4.2% | 11.1% | 4.6% |
| WSHA Rent increase | 2.5% | 0.5% | 2.5% | 5.9% | 5.6% |
This is despite the above inflation increase in costs all landlords have experienced. This year is no different and we are again facing significant cost increases - this means that the Association is losing money to invest in homes and to provide quality services. As a not-for-profit charity, this loss in income will impact on tenants and the services they receive. To mitigate this, we are proposing the rent increase below.
Proposals for 2025/26 - tell us your thoughts
Taking all of this into account, the Association is seeking your views on the proposal to increase the rents for non-former Charing Cross HA tenants by 4.3% (October CPI + 1%) from 1 April 2025 (unless you have a rent guarantee in which case this will be explained in your rent increase consultation letter if you are due an increase next year).
Tell us your thoughts by responding to our Rent Consultation survey here.
For former Charing Cross HA tenants we are proposing a rent increase of 2.3% (inflation only) . You can respond via the survey here.
Responses must be received by Friday 10th January 2025.