Cheshire West and Chester Council says a proposed 4.8 per cent rise in Council housing rents is necessary to keep homes “safe, secure and decent.” However, when asked to provide the data behind the promises in its own press release, the authority gave only general assurances and limited information by email.
Many tenants already struggle to pay
As more than 2,100 tenants are currently in arrears already, many residents will struggle with this increase. Will the increased revenue for the council help to keep social housing fit for purpose, as promised?
And was previous revenue from rent increases for housing improvements as well?
On 3 February 2026, the Council published a press release outlining its case for increasing rents on Council-owned homes by 4.8 per cent from April 2026.
The document states that the proposed increase is in line with Government guidance based on Consumer Price Inflation (CPI), plus 1 percent, and applies to social housing, affordable housing, garages and Lifeline services alike.
The increase is intended to help fund services, repairs, maintenance, improvements and new legal responsibilities, such as those introduced under the Building Safety Act 2022, Fire Safety Regulations 2022 and the Social Housing (Regulations) Act 2023.
It also explicitly references Awaab’s Law, effective from October 2025, which mandates social landlords to address damp and mould within strict statutory timeframes.
According to the press release, average weekly rents for social housing would rise from £102.84 to £107.78, and average affordable housing rents from £129.39 to £135.60.
Garage rents and Lifeline charges were also set to increase accordingly. The authority acknowledged that a rise “will be difficult for tenants,” but framed it as necessary to maintain homes that are “decent, safe and warm.”
From 1 April 2026, the Council will take direct control of the management and maintenance of its 5,253 homes, ending a contract with housing provider ForHousing.
A familiar justification
Council’s Response to Scrutiny: Broad Claims, Few Details.
North West Bylines approached Cheshire West and Chester Council for detailed information about outcomes since the previous rent rise. This includes figures, service performance and the real impact of the investment funded by rent income.
The Local Authority’s 5 February 2026 response offered only high-level statements and selective data.
The response confirms that the 4.8 per cent increase follows Government guidelines and is intended to help the Council continue to provide homes that are safe and meet the Decent Homes Standard, as well as satisfy new statutory requirements.
It also says that previous rent rises,“have helped to deliver a programme of new fitted kitchens and bathrooms, as well as scheme improvements in Stanney Lane and Sutton Way.”
But the main worries here are:
- No figures were given for how much additional income rent increases generated in 2024–25.
- No breakdown was supplied showing how that income was allocated.
- No measurable evidence was provided showing how many homes were improved or whether tenant satisfaction changed.
Missing numbers
Despite Awaab’s Law being cited in the press release as one of the drivers of the rent rise, the Council’s response did not provide data on how many complaints about damp and mould had been received or resolved since October 2025.
Nor did it share comparisons of repair response times or tenant complaints over time.
The press release said previous investment had included around £9 million of work in 2025-26 on roofs, kitchens, bathrooms, heating and windows, and that condition surveys were planned for all properties by summer 2026.
However, the response to our enquiry did not quantify tenant outcomes from this investment.
Arrears and affordability
The Council did provide some figures. It reported that rent collection currently stands at 99.65 per cent, placing it in the “top performance quartile for the sector.” That said, it also confirmed that around 2,100 tenants are in arrears.
To help those struggling, the Council says it is working with tenants to maximise income, for example by making sure households are receiving the full benefits and financial support to which they are entitled. The Local Authority claims that it’swork in this area has delivered an extra £1,127,603 for tenants so far this year.
While that figure signals proactive support, it does not reveal how many tenants benefited, how many remain in difficulty, or whether the assistance offsets the impact of the new rent rise.
No modelling or projections were supplied about how tenants may fare following the proposed increase.
From 1 April 2026, management and maintenance of the Council’s housing stock will move back in-house, ending the contract with ForHousing.
The press release describes this as an opportunity to, “work more closely with tenants” and ensure their needs are met.
Yet there was no detail in the Council’s response about how success will be measured, what transitional costs will be incurred, or what service improvements tenants can expect once control shifts back to the authority.
No data on damp or mould problems
Another key element of the Council’s argument is the growing burden of housing regulation. The response repeatedly cites the need to meet the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023.
These laws have significantly strengthened the responsibilities of social landlords, particularly around building safety and the handling of damp and mould.
Yet, when asked for specific information about how many damp and mould cases had been reported since Awaab’s Law came into force, and how many were resolved within legal timeframes, the Council provided no data.
Without those figures, it is impossible to assess whether previous rent rises have meaningfully improved compliance or living conditions.
Where is the evidence?
The only concrete examples offered of improvements funded by earlier rent increases were the installation of kitchens and bathrooms and “scheme improvements” in two named locations.
While welcome, these limited examples fall short of demonstrating borough-wide progress.
Tenants facing another increase might reasonably expect to see fuller transparency: clear accounts showing additional income raised, detailed breakdowns of spending, and performance measures proving that services have improved.
Instead, residents have been directed to a Cabinet report for further information, a lengthy document that many tenants may struggle to interpret.
Rent increases ‘necessary’, but can tenants afford them?
The press release and the Council’s response both stress the necessity of rent rises, citing statutory duties and investment needs.
But when asked for concrete evidence of outcomes from previous increases, officials offered only selected examples and broad assertions without measurable detail.
With more than 2,000 tenant households already in arrears, another above-inflation rent increase is likely to heighten financial strain for vulnerable residents.
While the Council highlights support efforts and additional income obtained for tenants, it has not provided an assessment of the potential future hardship caused by the proposed increase.
Cheshire West and Chester Council insists that the proposed 4.8 per cent rent increase is both necessary and aligned with national policy.
It points to strong rent collection performance, statutory compliance pressures, and planned improvements as justification.
Although, when pressed to explain what previous rent increases have achieved in measurable terms, the responses have been mostly descriptive rather than data-led.
Do higher rents really mean better investment in housing?
For thousands of Council tenants, the key question is simple: if rents keep rising, where is the clear, measurable proof that services are getting better?
Until the authority provides fuller and more transparent data, that question is likely to remain one at the heart of the debate.
Cheshire West and Chester Council was given a final chance to reply via email before publication of this article, but no response was given.
