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Summary of the Rent Setting Policy
Scope
The Rent Setting Policy sets out the way we set the basic element of rents to meet the costs of providing, managing and maintaining our properties.
The policy relates to rents which Link is required to set for Scottish Secure Tenants under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.
Principles
- The costs of providing the properties, including loan charges, voids, management and maintenance costs, including amounts set aside for future expenditure, should be met from the rents set
- Rents should be affordable to tenants using a recognised measure of affordability
- Rents set in each area should represent good value when compared with rents charged for equivalent properties by other social housing providers in that area
- The general increase in rental income will be restricted to the equivalent of the year on year increase in the published Retail Price Index plus one percent.
- This will be the maximum amount by which the value of one rent point will increase.
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Individual rents may vary by greater or lesser percentages but only in the following circumstances:
to allow for changes to the property or its surroundings, as a result of which the number of points applicable to the property change or
to allow for rent phasing or freezing of rents which are still being adjusted from levels applied before the introduction of this policy and rent setting mechanism.
Practice
We will implement the policy by
- Devising procedures for compliance with the policy
- Training staff to ensure they are aware of their responsibilities and obligations
- Monitoring adherence to policy requirements
This policy was approved by the Link Group Board on 12 December 2007.