Chesterfield borough's 8,800 council house tenants face rent rise to pay for home improvements and new-build properties

Roof replacements are among the improvements that Chesterfield Borough Council will be making to its existing housing stock over the coming 12 months (photo: Adobe Stock/brizmaker)

Council house tenants in Chesterfield borough should see improvements to their homes over the next 12 months as the council justifies increasing rents.

Householders face paying an average rent of £88.77 a week from April, after the seven percent rise which is the maximum amount possible.

A spokesman for Chesterfield Borough Council said: “Over the next 12 months we will be delivering improvements to kitchens, bathrooms, roofs and window replacements, as well as adaptations to help older people and disabled people to remain living independently in their homes. We will also be building and purchasing new homes to help meet the increasing need for good quality affordable housing in Chesterfield.

“We are focussed on ensuring our homes are safe, energy efficient and meet the decent homes standard, as well as being able to continue to build and purchase more homes to replace those sold through the Right to Buy scheme.”

April’s rent rise is likely to have the biggest impact on the estimated 2,000 to 2,300 tenants who don’t receive benefits to help with their housing costs.

The spokesman said: “We do understand that rent increases impact on our tenants, particularly those who are not receiving housing benefit, and we will provide support and advice to help people who are struggling with the cost of living.”

The borough council rents out just over 8,800 council homes and all but six of these are classed as ‘social rent’. This means that the rent is calculated by a government defined formula which is based on local earnings, property values as they were in 1999, and the number of bedrooms in the property.