How your rent is set

The Government sets the rules for how much housing associations like Citizen can increase social rents each year.

For 2026/27, rents may be increasing by up to 4.8% in line with the national rent standard.

We do not set this percentage, we must follow Government guidance.

Social rent

Your rent is first set using a Government formula that looks at:

• The value of your home
• Local earnings
• The size and type of your property

After that, yearly increases are limited by Government rules. Currently, rents can usually increase by September’s CPI inflation rate + 1%.

Affordable Rent and Intermediate Market Rent (IMR)

These rents are usually set at up to 80% of the local market rent when your tenancy starts.

Each year, increases are limited to September CPI + 1%, in line with Government guidance.

Shared Ownership

If you’re a shared owner, you pay rent on the part of your home that Citizen owns.

Your lease explains how your rent increases each year. This is usually linked to inflation.

Your service charge covers the day-to-day running costs of services at your building or estate, like cleaning communal areas, maintaining the lawn in shared gardens, running CCTV and testing fire alarms.

If there have been changes to your service charges, we will have written to you previously to explain why.

In some of our high-rise buildings, we updated tenancy agreements to make sure service charges clearly reflect the services provided in each building and that everyone is charged fairly and consistently.

Your annual rent letter will show a breakdown of your rent and any service charges for the year ahead.

Find out more about service changes and how they are set.

If you receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, your eligible rent and service charges are usually covered in line with current benefit rules.

If you’re unsure or worried about how changes may affect you, we’re here to help.

If you’re concerned about your rent or service charges, get in touch with our advice team. They can:

• Check you’re receiving all the benefits you’re entitled to
• Help you manage your budget
• Offer advice if you’re struggling to pay

You can contact the team through My Account or email the team at Citizen.adviceservices@citizenhousing.org.uk.