We carried out consultation for the Fair Rent Review during the summer of 2018. More than 2,200 customers fed back on the factors they felt would form the basis for rents that are fair and affordable.
Setting rents based on the income levels of lower earners was seen as fairer than using other factors and we wanted to use a method for setting rents that does just this.
Therefore, Living Rents will reflect the differences in income levels throughout Rhondda Cynon Taff. Living Rents are based on the average income levels of lower earners in each area and the different household types that typically live in different Trivallis properties and they will vary depending on the types of families that are typically allocated our homes.
We believe this is the best way to ensure our rents are fair and affordable for all.
Service Charges and our Fair Rent Review
If you have any questions check out the FAQs below or email us on:
FairRentReview@trivallis.co.uk
There has been a maximum increase of 2.7% plus £2.00 per week in the rents (without service charges) for April 2020 to March 2021. This amount has been set by our Board in line with Welsh Government guidance.
Trivallis has introduced a new rents policy and will be moving all tenants to Living Rents over several years.
The amount shown on the front covering letter is the full rent for your property plus any service charges – this is the full amount you would have to pay if you paid the full rent yourself and you were not on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
The two amounts shown in the actual rent increase notice details what the ‘net rent’ (not including any service charges and rent adjustments) was in 2019/20 and what it will be in 2020/21 – again this is a legal obligation we have to comply with.
The figure for 2020/21 on the rent notice may be higher than your actual rent. This will be due to the Living Rent being higher than your current rent. You will move towards this rent over time. Please see other questions about Living Rents for more details.
Service Charges (for grass cutting, communal cleaning etc.) vary each year depending on costs and contract charges. A full breakdown of these charges will have been sent to you in a separate service charge statement.
If you already pay your rent by direct debit, we will automatically make adjustments. Allpay will send you a separate letter detailing the changes.
If you don’t currently pay by direct debit and would like to, you can contact us and ask to speak to your Rent Account Manager and they will set up your Direct Debit over the phone.
You can choose to pay weekly on any weekday, fortnightly, four weekly or monthly on any working day of the month.
Your tenancy has a weekly rent that is charged on a Monday. As there are 52 Mondays between 6 April 2020 and 4 April 2021 we have multiplied your weekly rent by 52 and divided by 12 months.
Most years have 52 Mondays in them but every 5 or 6 years there are 53 Mondays.
We start by using average income data from the Office of National Statistics.
This provides us with estimates of the income of lower earners (lower-quartile) for all of the areas where we have properties. This data is released annually and we will use it each year to update the Living Rents.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation says that housing costs are unaffordable if they are over a third of a household’s income. We have decided to use 28% of the average income for the lower earners to set our rents.
We have adjusted the rents for different property sizes and types by considering the smallest families that would be allocated each of our homes.
For example, we allocate most of our one bedroom properties to single people, so the Living Rent for these properties is based on the income of an individual who is in work.
The Living Rents for our larger homes are higher as we know that bigger families will tend to be living in them. We have considered how a family’s income and outgoings change as they get bigger.
We have also adjusted rents in some areas if Private Landlords are advertising many properties at rents that are lower than the Living Rent.
We are obliged by law to tell you what your full weekly rent rental charge is. If you have chosen to apply for Housing Benefit to reduce this amount then you will receive a letter from your local council during the next few weeks notifying you of any reduction to this amount. If you feel you are entitled to Housing Benefit but don’t currently receive it, then the letter tells you how to apply.
If you receive Universal Credit, you will need to notify the DWP through your online portal after 6 April 2020 to tell them your rent has increased. They may continue to pay the old rent amount until you notify them of the increase. It’s important that you tell them that you don’t have any free weeks and are charged every week of the year.
The amount shown on the front covering letter is the full rent for your property plus any service charges – this is the full amount you would have to pay if you paid the full rent yourself and you were not on Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
The two amounts shown in the actual rent increase notice details what the ‘net rent’ (not including any service charges and rent adjustments) was in 2019/20 and what it will be in 2020/21– again this is a legal obligation we have to comply with.
The figure for 2020/21 on the rent notice may be higher than your actual rent. This will be due to the Living Rent being higher than your current rent. You will move towards this rent over time. Please see other questions about Living Rents for more details.
From 2019/20 onwards Trivallis charges rent every week of the year.
If you want to have a payment holiday at Christmas, you will need to pay more each week from April in order to build up a credit on your account.
We will give you the option to do that if you wish. You can speak to your Rent Account Manager if you chose to do this to agree the extra amount that you will pay.
Whether you’ve had a change of circumstances, a budgeting difficulty, or a cut in benefits, our Money Advice Team can help you take some important steps to get you back in control and avoid eviction.
Rents can vary depending on when a tenancy started, area, property type and size. If you’re unsure whether your rent is correct please contact your Rent Account Manager, but bear in mind that due to data protection we wouldn’t be able to discuss your neighbours rent.
