Rent increase consultation for 2025/2026
Each year we need to talk to you about the rent we are considering charging for the following year and how we intend to continue to provide services and carry out the improvements we need to make to your home.
Over the past few years things have been very challenging for many of you thanks to the rising cost of living. This has added a financial pressure on WSHA and other similar landlords too. Continued rising costs mean that we need to increase the rent we charge you from 1st April 2025 to be able to continue to deliver services and improve homes. In previous years we have limited the impact of rising costs on our tenants and to keep rents affordable, and we will continue to do so. This also needs to be balanced against our costs.
Over the past 5 years we did not increase rents two years in a row and the rent increase has been lower than our neighbouring landlords, the national average and the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Continued rising costs to us means that we need to increase the rents for next year to deliver improvements, repairs and services.
From the 1st April 2025 we are proposing a rent increase of 5.5%.
How much did the rents increase in previous years
Where did the rent go last year?
We carried out the following:
Routine Repairs and Void works: Total cost: £1,030,863 YOU HAVE UNTIL 21ST NOVEMBER TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Common Close and External Painting Work: Total cost:
£235,527
10 windows: Total cost: £93,110
Gutter Cleaning Total Cost: £63,391
Bathrooms:
Kitchens:
Compliance Inspections (including Gas / Electrical safety checks 100% compliant): £340,689
36 Boilers: Total cost: £95,000
We have also invested in you and the community in other ways
The rent you pay does not just cover the cost of repairs and improvements, as a tenant of WSHA you have access to a unique set of services and funds, which we are continually reviewing and improving. We want this ‘added value’ to be something all tenants are aware of and be able to access.
Welfare Rights
Last year our Welfare Rights Team helped 241 tenants obtain £624,034 - which means, on average, each tenant had an increase in income of £2589.
The impact they have goes beyond financial gain. For example, helping someone to obtain a disabled companion bus pass and opening up their opportunity to travel, challenging incorrect benefit assessments and getting a backpay of £5000 to help prevent an eviction, and another tenant was able to apply for a passport so they could visit family they had not seen for 10 years.
Customer Advisory Panel
The new Customer Advisory Panel is made up of tenants, they have met several times, agreed how they will work and what they want to get involved in and commented on policies before they went to Committee for approval. The group meets regularly and you
Partnerships and grants
“Lisa and Lauren are very friendly and I am extremely grateful for their help in many ways”
“Lauren helped myself and my wife so I can’t thank her enough, service was excellent Thank you”
will see an increasing number of documents with the ‘tick’ that shows the panel have reviewed them on your behalf.
Every tenant can ask to become a member of the Panel. Training and guidance is given by the Tenant Information Service
We extended the help available to reach more of our tenants:
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library65 children receive a book each month.
A festive event bringing the whole community together. See the video we made here.
50 free Vodaphone SIM cards to increase online access.
An education bursary for to help toward the cost of books/equipment when attending college/university.
Since May, 1906 customers have benefited from our newly opened Community Shop, receiving very low cost food through our commitment to Fair Share.
107 household items to new and existing tenants to help with the basics that create a home.
‘I feel I can now sleep at night’
‘You’ve
‘This is a massive weight off my shoulders’
not idea the difference this will make. I never get help with anything’
Housing Perks which provides access to discounts of up to 10% with over 100 brands and stores, to help save money with everyday spending.
Worked with partners to provide employment advice, activities and uniforms for school children, bikes and bike repairs and subsidised a range of activities in the community - such as knitting and cooking clubs, craft and exercise classes.
Obtained grants to benefit as many of our tenants as possible, such as the Scottish Government Fuel Poverty Support Fund, which meant we were able to help 211 tenants who were struggling to pay fuel bills.
‘I have heat in my flat and I haven’t had that for months’
‘Just amazing thank you so, so much. I never get help with anything and this has made such a big difference’
‘It’s one less bill to worry about’
‘Can’t believe you are able to help us like this. Thank you’
‘You have no idea how this helps us. Bless you’
‘I don’t know how you got the money to help me but thank you’
What next?
We must continue to invest in our properties, for you and future tenants. The investment plans for 2025/26 include:
Routine Repairs: £680,000
50 Bathrooms: £195,000
174 Kitchens: £802,400
87 Boiler Replacements: £230,100 Compliance Inspections (inc. Gas Servicing and Electrical Testing): £647,000
We are using feedback to help us shape our community activities and to find the best way of reducing the impact of rising costs to you and to increase your wellbeing. In the recent Tenant Satisfaction Survey you told us that your 3 biggest concerns are:
Last year you told us these concerns were:
• Energy Costs (76%)
• Food Costs (62%)
• Child Related Costs (49%)
YOU HAVE UNTIL 21ST NOVEMBER TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
External Works (e.g. Painting & Gutters): £167,000
Close Painting: £138,000
99 Window Replacements: £928,000
Voids: £655,200
We will continue to focus on investing in these areas to further reduce your concerns.
What does all this mean for me and the rent I will pay?
We began a rent restructure in 2021 to create fairness in how we charge our rents. This means similar homes are now charged at the same rent. On top of that, we also work out how much we need each year to pay for improvements and deliver services such as close cleaning. Many other landlords charge their rent and service charges separately, but WSHA tenants pay the same towards the services we provide and this is included within the rent total you pay. For example, our estates services are provided by WS Estate Services Ltd (WSES) which includes a free bulk uplift service to our tenants. You can find out more about this service here.
As a responsible landlord we forecast our financial activity so we can make sure we will have enough to be able to provide homes that meet the standards laid down by the Government, deliver improvements and help our tenants.
Our business plan requires that we increase the rent by 5.5% if we are to meet this in the year 2025/2026.
Any less will mean we would need to reduce spending on what we plan to do. This is not something we can do. We would need to make reductions to investment in our properties and to the services we provide. This would lower the quality of our homes and mean we couldn’t do as much to help tenants to stay in their homes. Ultimately, it would have a long-term impact on the viability of WSHA.
We understand that some tenants will find a rent increase difficult to afford. We are committed to keeping the rent increase as low as we can whilst continuing to work to improve the energy efficiency of your home and providing help and advice where it is needed. It is also important to know that the vast majority of tenants do not pay anything extra for the services you receive, for example the bulk uplift service or stair cleaning.
Example rent for now, and following the proposed rent increase:
Note: Whilst the vast majority of tenants will be subject to the same increase, a small proportion will differ because of the phased way the rent restructure was designed to be brought in. We will inform those people separately.
If you have any concerns about your tenancy, your Housing Officer or the Welfare Rights Team are here to help.
YOU HAVE UNTIL 21ST NOVEMBER TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
So,
now it’s
over to you. What do you think?
You have until 21st November 2024 to share your thoughts. After this, the Committee will consider these and the recommended rent increase level and make a decision. We will let you know the outcome and tell you what your rent will be from 1st April 2025.
Please let us know by adding your comments by going to our survey website here, scanning the QR code or by using the tear off slip below and returning to Whiteinch and Scotstoun Housing Association, The Whiteinch Centre, 1 Northinch Court, Glasgow, G14 0UG.
Scan here for survey
Please provide your name and address so that we can verify you are a tenant. This information will not be used for any purpose other than to check you are entitled to comment, unless you expressly say so.
Name
Address
Yes / No / Unsure Is it clear to you what your rent pays for and why it needs to be increased by the proposed 5.5%
If not, can you tell us why and what else you would like to know?
What do you think is the most important service WSHA provides to you, or our tenants as a whole?
What would you like to see WSHA doing, or doing more of?
Would you be interested in joining the Customer Advisory Panel and find out more about what your landlord does and why and help us to do things better?
Yes / No
Can we use your details you have provided to contact you about this? Yes / No