7.7% rent rise agreed for Moray council houses
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A 7.7% rise in council house rents across Moray has been decided upon by the local authority.
This increase is also going to apply to garage rents and grass cutting services.
The changes were formally passed at yesterday's meeting of the full council and come in the wake of a simplified rent-setting policy which was agreed in January.
This simplified policy will see the number of different rent levels drop from 386 to 28 and a baseline rent level introduced.
Yesterday's meeting also agreed expenditure of £26.2million on, amongst other things, sheltered housing, repairs and maintenance, downsizing incentives and new house building.
Since last year’s budget was set the council has increased its stock by 86 properties.
This follows the completion of new-build developments in Elgin and Keith, plus the acquisition of 35 former Ministry of Defence properties in Elgin.
Progress has also been made in starting a further phase of building in Keith and in gaining consent for a development in Aberlour.
A revised plan for the development at Bilbohall in Elgin is also expected within the next 12 months.
Councillor Amber Dunbar, who chairs the housing committee, stated that the local authority's rents will still be amongst the lowest in Scotland.
Cllr Dunbar (Elgin North, Conservative) said: "Based on this rent increase, and the revised rental structure, Moray Council rents remain the lowest amongst local authority landlords in Scotland and will continue to be affordable across the range of property types and sizes.
"Over the course of the last year our performance in relation to void properties has significantly improved, with average relet times and void rent loss reduced by over 25%.
"Our rent recovery levels remain amongst the highest in Scotland and a rent campaign will take place in March to further improve this position.
"Our key focus over the next year will continue to be stock improvement, with a comprehensive programme of electrical certification nearing the halfway point and a considerable programme of energy efficiency measures to be undertaken in the course of 2024/25.
"I look forward to seeing the forthcoming business plan review progressing through committee, which will also ensure the rental income is sufficient to maintain statutory requirements and meet tenant aspirations."
