Stirling Council housing rents will remain among the lowest in Scotland after Councillors approved a marginal 1.3% increase for the year ahead.
The minor rise will see the average rent of a Council property increase by 98p per week, from £75.77 to £76.75 over a 48-week period.
Council tenants were offered a choice between a 1.3% or 2.1% increase for 2021-22, with the vast majority (69.1%) backing the lower option.
The increase will help the Council meet the estimated increase in cost pressures for the service.
Councillors rubber-stamped the plans after a motion was passed at a special budget-setting meeting earlier today, where a 1.3% increase in rent prices for garages and pitch sites was also approved.
Speaking after the meeting, Housing Portfolio Holder, Cllr Evelyn Tweed, said: “Today’s decision means the costs for renting a Council house in Stirling remain significantly lower than the average for Scotland.
“While a higher increase would have funded even greater improvements to the local housing stock, we listened to the views of our tenants through our annual consultation and they felt that a lower increase would be helpful at this time.”
Joint Depute Portfolio Holder, Cllr Danny Gibson, said: “Annual engagement with our tenants is a productive process, which improves trust and transparency, and we’re seeing that in satisfaction levels of tenants, which I hope will continue in the years ahead.”
Cllr Alasdair MacPherson, Joint Depute Portfolio Holder, added: “Today’s decision maintains low costs for Council tenants and keeps our rates among the most affordable in Scotland.
“The money raised from this increase will help us to undertake significant investment in our Council housing stock, including investment in solar panels and our ambitious plans for new homes.”
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