Council tenants in Greenwich face a 7.7 per cent increase in their rent from April, the maximum allowed by the government.
If approved by a cabinet meeting next month, the increase would mean the average rent would go up by £7.86 a week to £109.96. Some tenants, particularly in the newer homes that are part of the Greenwich Builds programme, pay higher rents.
The rate is based on September’s consumer prices index plus 1 per cent, the largest possible rise under government rules. In previous years the government has stepped in to cap rises at below the rate of inflation.
Service charges are due to go up by the same amount. A consultation on the increase began last month and lasts until January 15.
Council housing is not subsided by council tax; instead rents and service charges cover the cost of repairs and maintenance.
Greenwich’s rents have long been the lowest in London, something blamed by some for the poor condition of many of the borough’s estates — such as the notorious Woodland Grove estate in East Greenwich — and a long backlog of repairs.
In 2022 Pat Slattery, the cabinet member for housing, said she feared the borough was “killing people with kindness” by charging such low rents.
The same year, the council referred itself to the social housing regulator after finding that its staff had not failed deal with issues such as damaged fire doors, cluttered communal areas and broken signage.
Greenwich has the fourth longest housing waiting list in London, with over 28,000 households waiting for a home. The council recently proposed following many other London boroughs in closing its list to non-priority cases, which account for most of those waiting for a home and are unlikely to be rehoused.
Neighbouring Lewisham only admits priority cases and has about 10,600 on its list. Bexley has just 1,400 on its list, research by this website found.