Increasing rent is not an easy decision but necessary to meet rising costs and allow us to continue to maintain our properties. We understand that sometimes our customers can find themselves in financial difficulties and we are here to help in those circumstances.
Whatever your financial situation, we can help. Our Money Matters Team can work with you to help you manage your money. The service is free, and you do not have to be in debt to use it.
The team will give you all the support and advice you need and may refer you to other support organisations that can help. To contact them, call 0300 123 2004 or email moneymatters@gentoogroup.com. Calls will cost the same as a call to a landline number and will be included as part of any inclusive minutes on your mobile phone package.
Find out more about how we can help you to manage your money.
Rent
Like all housing associations in England, we must follow government guidelines when setting rent charges. Find out more about how we set rents and service charges.
Following government guidelines, the rent existing customers pay will increase by no more than 7.7% from April 2024. This is based on the Consumer Price Index from September 2023, which measures changes in prices paid by consumers for goods and services.
Why we have changed your rent
We need to make sure the money we get from rent is enough to pay for services to manage, maintain, repair and improve your home.
The costs for us to provide these services have increased. For example, the cost of:
- 1,000 roof tiles have increased by 41%
- installing doors has increased by 36%
- plumbing materials have increased by 17%
Service charges
If you live in a building that has communal areas or facilities, you usually pay service charges as well as rent.
Service charges pay for communal services in a building, like lifts, lighting and grounds maintenance.
If you pay a service charge, your statement for 2024 to 2025 will have been included with your rent letter. It will state whether a service charge is eligible for Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
Find out more about how we set rents and service charges.
Why we have changed your service charges
We need to make sure the money we get is enough to pay for communal services.
Your service charge statement may have an entry for ‘Landlord contribution to communal charges’. This is how much we have contributed to your service charges so the amount you pay does not increase by more than £5 a week.
How we spend your rent and service charges
Last year, we spent:
- £43.5 million to maintain and repair our properties
- £43.3 million to invest in our properties
- £24.3 million in running costs
- £22.8 million to repay interest and loans
- £3.6 million to pay for communal services
Paying your rent charge and other charges
If you pay by Direct Debit, we will update it and allpay will send you a letter about how much we will collect from your bank and when we will collect it.
You can now receive Direct Debit notifications by email. If we have your email address, you will receive an email from allpay to verify this. If you would like us to add or update your email address, call us on 0191 525 2765 or email income.services@gentoogroup.com
If you pay by standing order, you must update it in your bank account with your new payment amount. If you need a paper form for your bank, call our Income Services Team on 0191 525 2765 or email income.services@gentoogroup.com
Find out more about the different ways to pay your rent at www.gentoogroup.com/paying-rent
Further information
You can get more information about your rent and service charges from your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator.
