Rent & Service Charges

What you pay is broken down into two main areas: your rent and your service charges. Your rent pays for the management and maintenance of your home and your service charges pay for communal services around your home such as grounds maintenance or the upkeep of lighting in communal areas in flats.  

Service charges are included in the rent that secure and introductory tenants pay, and in the charge that people with a licence pay.

How much you need to pay

Everyone who rents a property will be informed what they have to pay before they agree to a tenancy or licence agreement.  Rents are reviewed by Colchester Borough Council each year – you can see the rent setting and service charge policy. You will receive a letter at least four weeks in advance of any changes letting you know what your new rent and service charge will be.

Rent Increase 2020/2021

Over the last four years, the rents paid by Colchester Borough Council tenants have reduced by 1% each year in line with Government policy. 

This has meant the average Colchester Borough Council rent has reduced from £87.28 in 2015/2016 to approximately £84.91 in 2019/2020.

The Government have now revised this policy allowing landlords to increase rents by a maximum of the rate of inflation, known as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 1% for at least the next five years from April 2020.

The council has agreed to implement this increase to our rents in 2020/2021 meaning rents will increase by 2.7%. This increase will come into effect from Monday 6 April and will mean the average rent for 2020/2021 will be approximately £87.20.

This is not a decision that has been taken lightly and we are aware this could have significant impacts on some of our tenants.  To help give residents a clearer understanding of the decision, how the additional rent will be used and the support available for tenants we have developed some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Leaseholders

Details about service charges for leaseholders are sent every year to each leaseholder. For more information see our Service Charges and Ground Rent page.

Paying your rent and service charges

See our ways to pay to make a payment or find out how you can pay your rent and service charges. To make an online payment or set up a direct debit visit the Council’s Do it Online – Access your account page.  Please contact 01206 282514 for confidential advice and support if you are having difficulty paying what you owe. 

Normally our payments are divided into a 50-week year, which means that there are 2 weeks in a year where you do not need to make a payment if your rent is up to date. These are normally just before Christmas and at the end of March.