Rent

The rent increase is set by government policy linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for social rents or Retail Price Index (RPI) for shared ownership rents.

CPI measures the average change in the cost of consumer goods and services over time (in this case, over a year). Simply put, CPI looks at how much we’re paying for everyday items, whether that’s the food we buy or things like getting our hair cut.

RPI is a measure of inflation, which means the rate that prices for goods and services are rising over time (in this case, over a year).

You can find the exact amount you’ll pay each week in the letter we sent you explaining your new rent and other charges. You can also visit our customer portal, MyAbri, to check your rent statement and manage your account.

Abri is a not-for-profit organisation. This means that we don’t make a profit from your rent payments. We use your rent to invest in the things that you and our other customers have told us are most important. This includes delivering and improving our services, maintaining your home and building new homes to create communities where people can grow and thrive.

For example, we’re investing £689 million in our existing homes over the next ten years to improve building safety and to make them more energy efficient. We’re also planning to build 10,000 new homes by 2030.

If we offer a service, like cleaning or maintaining a building where you live (for example, lifts and CCTV) it costs us money. So we ask that through service charges, you help us keep these services going. We don’t make any money from this.

We estimate costs for the next year by looking at how much it cost last year and other changes such as VAT, the level of service or a contractor’s prices.

We understand that any increase in your rent is worrying. If you’re struggling, please contact us. We’re here to help and have lots of support available. Our online cost-of-living hub has a lot of support and guidance, including:

• calculators to check what welfare benefits you might be entitled to. You can also check your pension and state pension allowances
• information on local food saving schemes, including community pantries, mobile pantries and supermarket discount schemes
• budgeting advice, including debt management
• Guides on understanding your energy bills and how you can get support in paying them.

We also offer free employment support which can help you with everything from writing a CV to interview preparation, and advice on how to access training or apprenticeships. Whether you’ve been out of work for a while and are looking to build up your confidence, or are thinking about a career change, our friendly team can support you in achieving your goals.

Finally, please be aware that we have specialist teams who are on hand to listen, advise and support you. All you need to do is get in touch. You can do that by logging onto the customer portal, My Abri, and sending us a message. Or if you prefer to have a chat over the phone, please give us a call on 0300 123 1567.

It’s our mission to provide safe, warm and affordable homes. But if you don’t pay your rent, you could be at risk of losing your home. We really don’t want that, and we’re here to support you if you’re struggling financially. It’s really important that you get in touch with us if you’re finding it difficult to pay your rent. We have support available which you can find out more about above, but we can also check that you’re receiving any benefits that you might be entitled to and help maximise your income.