Dundee rent rises to go before councillors for approval

Rent rises for council house tenants in Dundee are to be considered next week.

Councillors on the housing committee will be asked to approve annual increases of between 2.5% and 3%.

That could mean average weekly rises of £1.69, £1.86 or £2.03 depending on which options tenants prefer during the two-month consultation period, before the housing committee’s final decision in January.

Last year the council approved the lowest increase in council house rents since 2001, with this year’s increase being the second lowest in the same period.

John Alexander, convener of the housing committee, which will consider a report on Monday, said: “We have worked hard to keep the proposed increases to the absolute minimum and they are lower than we had forecast last year.

“We know many of our tenants are facing financial hardship, so we are proposing to consult on the lowest increases which still provide us with enough income to maintain progress in bringing all our properties up to Scottish Housing Quality Standard.”

Following the consultation period, a report will be brought to the housing committee on January 26 next year to agree the rent levels for 2015/2016.