From April 2026, rent, service charges, and shared ownership rent will change:

• Most rents will go up by 4.8%
• Most shared ownership rents will go up by 5% as set out in your lease.

We’ve listened to feedback, so we’re sharing this news now, so you have time to plan and ask us questions.

Please remember we are here to support you. If you’d like to talk about your rent or service charges, please get in touch so we can help.

• email us at customerservices@thirteengroup.co.uk
• call us on 0300 111 1000
• visit one of our stores in Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool or Hull

Why we need to increase your rent

Prices for everyday items are still high, and for us, this means higher costs for things like building materials and services we need to keep homes safe and in good condition.

Increasing rent helps us:

• Invest in improving homes - this year we’re spending £68.4 million to modernise over 2,800 homes
• Support you through our housing and tenancy services
• Work together to build stronger communities.

How rent is set

We follow rules set by the Regulator of Social Housing. These rules make sure rents are fair
and affordable.

The regulator allows us to increase rent by:

• Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation in September of the previous year
• Plus 1%

In September, CPI was 3.8%, so the total increase is 4.8%.

Shared ownership rent

Shared ownership rents are worked out differently. They can go up by:

• Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation in September
• Plus 0.5%

In September, RPI was 4.5% so the total increase is 5%.

What the rent increase could mean for you

To help, here are some examples of what a 4.8% rent increase, excluding a service charge, will cost you per week.

If you receive Universal Credit

If you receive Universal Credit the Government is increasing the amount people will receive by 1.7% from the beginning of April 2026. If you receive the housing element of Universal Credit, this will be amended accordingly to reflect the increase in your rent.

Help and support available to you

We’re here to help. If you’re worried, please talk to us. There are lots of ways we can support you, including advice on managing costs. You might also be able to get help with your housing costs.

If you’re not sure, call us on 0300 111 1000 and we’ll do our best to help.

How our costs have gone up

We’re still seeing costs rise, and this will continue into 2026/27.

• The cost of managing our homes is up by £2 million
• Repairs and maintenance of our homes is up by nearly £1 million
• Investment in modernising homes is up by £4 million.

We work hard to keep costs down for you, but we need to increase rent so we can keep providing the services and support you rely on.

How we plan to spend money in 2026/27

Your rent helps us look after homes and provide services you need. Here’s how we plan to spend money in 2026/27:

• Modernising homes - £68.4m
• Supporting people and communities - £9m
• Repairs and maintenance - £64.3m
• Service charges - £17.9m
• Building new homes £78.6m (funded by grants and loans)
• Managing homes - £33.7m
• Interest payments - £21.9m
• Total - £320m

Service charges

Service charges cover the cost of running and maintaining shared buildings and spaces.

These costs have gone up too, just like the cost of living. That means it’s more expensive to provide these services, and we need to pass these costs on to the people who use them.

We only charge what it costs us – we don’t make a profit.

The amount you pay depends on your building. If you pay a service charge, we’ll write to you before the end of February to let you know the exact amount.

Getting further information

We’ll send you a formal notice with the exact details of your new rent and any service charges before the end of February.

This will give you at least one month’s notice before the changes start in April 2026.

If you pay a service charge, we’ll include those details too.

You don’t need to do anything right now - this is just for information.

For more information you can watch our video that answers some of the frequently asked questions about changes to your rent and explains your rent increase letter.