This consultation is about the proposed increase to rent and service charges which will be applied from April 2023. Your views are important so that we can take them into account before we make the decision.
 
We want to keep rents affordable for you, and at the same time deliver the best service we can. We know that money is very tight for tenants, and we will strike the best balance between making sure rent is affordable and maintaining your services.

You may have heard about the rent freeze applied by the Scottish Government until the end of March-2023.  This does not affect your rent this year as we set out rents for this year in March 2022, with a below inflation increase of 3%.

By mid-January 2023 we expect to hear from the Scottish Government on whether it will apply a rent freeze for 2023-2024 or set a limit on how much landlords can increase their rent. This will not affect service charges.

In the meantime, both the Scottish Housing Regulator and Scottish Government have asked us to consult with tenants as usual on our proposals for rents and service charges this year.

In preparation for this consultation, we have consulted with our tenant scrutiny panel Team Blackwood and will continue to work with them on our proposals for rents next year.

We have created a Frequently Asked Questions, as attached to your email, which provides additional information on Scottish Government plans on rents, and the potential impact of these decisions on your services.
INFLATION
Inflation rates are exceptionally high just now, sitting above 11% as at November 2022. While we would normally set our rents at or just above inflation, we understand this would be unaffordable for tenants. Instead, we expect to set rents well below this level as you can see below. Therefore, we must review what we can offer while protecting the services that are important for you and delivering value for money. It is very challenging to get this balance right, but we want to reassure you that any rent increase will be well below inflation.
YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
With a chance to win £100 of Shopping Vouchers in a prize draw we are inviting all our tenants to share their views on the proposals set out below.

To give as many tenants as possible the opportunity to take part in the consultation we have also asked our partners at Research Resource to phone a selection of tenants who have not responded to the initial survey. If you receive a call, please agree to complete the questionnaire over the phone.

We may also invite you to a focus group to discuss these proposals - if you would like to join these discussions, please contact our Customer Service Centre and our Advisors will take a note of your details.

0131 317 7227 or info@blackwoodgroup.org.uk
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