Release date: 03/02/2010

By: Charlie Masson Smith
Telephone 020 8871 6173 or email cmassons@wandsworth.gov.uk

Council cuts rents for tenants

 The vast majority of the council’s 17,000 tenants will see a reduction in their weekly rents over the coming year.

Eight out of ten tenants will pay less to rent their council property from April, while for the rest their combined rents and service charges will be frozen at this year’s levels.

The average saving works out at £1.10 per week for those receiving a reduction.

The council has managed to peg back rents despite the Government setting a national guideline increase of £3.52.

Cabinet member for housing Cllr Martin D Johnson said: "Tenants will welcome any extra help they can get with their rent in the current economic climate. I’m pleased that we can achieve this reduction while continuing to invest in significant improvements to our housing stock."

The council has also announced that it will invest more than £31m over the next 12 months on a programme of major refurbishments and upgrading of council-owned homes.

This includes improvements to heating systems, new lift installations, rewiring, enhanced security measures and renewals of windows and roofs.

Between April 2010 and March 2013, estate residents will benefit from more than £65m worth of refurbishments and improvements, with this figure set to rise even further as additional works are added to the capital programme in the financial years 2011/12 and 2012/13.

Service charges paid by tenants on local housing estates also continue to provide good value for money. In a survey of London councils Wandsworth’s charges were found to be the lowest.


ENDS

The council's website contains all current and past press releases dating back to February 2000

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