Tenants fearful of rent rise urged to seek support

Tenants in the Manx capital worried about meeting a 5% social housing rent rise should ask for support and would not get evicted, a councillor has said.

It follows an announcement by the Department of Infrastructure that rents for those in public sector housing would increase from 7 April.

Douglas Council's housing and communities board chairman Devon Watson said the move was supported as it meant more investment in maintenance and new housing.

But he urged anyone struggling to contact the council for help as "no one will ever get evicted because they don't have the ability to pay rent".

For those who would not be able to meet the increase, the local authority could organise a payment plan or assist them in contacting the social security division or charities that may be able to assist, he said.

The latest rent rise would see weekly increases ranging from £3.71 for a one bedroom flat to £7.71 for a four bedroom house.

Watson said while public sector rents were increasing by 5%, it was "much lower" than rental increases that many people in the private sector were receiving.

The measures would also see a change in the rental income that providers are able to use on maintenance, which is going up from 30% to 32.5%, as well as administration, which is rising by 1% to 7%.

Each of the 15 housing authorities can only spend a specific amount of the total rent received on staff, maintenance, and additional loans.

Watson said the changes meant that the authority, which has some properties that are up to 130 years old, could repair and maintain those facilities.

It would also give the council the ability to improve its response time for repairs, he continued.

While 2% of the council's estate was currently unoccupied, the aim was to "make sure we have no vacant properties" and the "increased revenue would help us towards that journey", he added.

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