Council house tenants face 'stealth rent hikes'

Council tenants say they have been hit with "stealth rent hikes" as new service charges aim to raise more than £800,000 this year.

Bristol City Council has told residents they must now pay extra for lift maintenance, digital aerials and communal heating, which were previously included in the charges.

Nigel Varley, 77, chair of the tenants association at Gilton House in Brislington, believes the move "gives them [the council] the freedom to increase as and when they like".

However, councillor Barry Parsons said being "very transparent" about costs enables residents to "challenge" the authority on services they are entitled to.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the scheme is forecast to raise around £825,000 in 2026–27.

The exact service charges for each block of council flats are unclear, and will differ on the number of residents and the individual cost of heating the buildings.

The council clarified that tenants living in houses would not have to subsidise services in blocks of flats.

Councils are limited to how much they can increase the rent each year by strict government rules - but these laws do not apply to service charges.

Tenants at Gilton House currently pay extra for seven services, but this has the potential to increase year on year from a list of 56 services provided - including maintenance of fire alarms and the electronic fob entry system.

Varley described the loophole as a form of "stealth rent hikes".

"That's the worrying thing, because they've now got unlimited capacity to increase rent above and beyond the statutory limit of 4.8%," he said.

"Whereas the increase in rents is controlled, slapping on the additional charges isn't."

Built in 1970, Gilton House is a retirement housing block for people aged 60 or over.

Elderly residents have endured multiple winters without proper exterior insulation after the council removed the flammable cladding in July 2022.

Varley explained this "complete and utter shambles" has left tenants with an "overwhelming cynicism" of the council.

However, according to Parsons, chair of the housing policy committee, the new service charges are the "opposite of stealth".

"It's about being very transparent about all of the costs for additional services that we provide," he said.

"So that all of our residents can understand exactly what they're being charged for and what service they should receive, so that they can challenge us if we're not fulfilling that."

David McNulty, executive director of housing at the city council, added there has been a historic "under-recovery against service charges" in Bristol.

"So for a period of time, we are looking to make sure that we recover those costs, and that they're fairly apportioned across residents for the services."

Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.