Couple's rent struggle after council ends tenancy

A mother said she and her husband were "routinely skipping meals to ensure our children can eat" after they were forced to leave their council-owned home.

Rowan Perry-Lee and her family had lived in Caversham Park Village as tenants of a rental company owned by Reading Borough Council before the firm closed.

She said they had to relocate and were now spending £1,000 more on rent, which was having a "devastating impact".

Reading Borough Council said it "acknowledges the impact" of closing its Homes for Reading company and said it had supported the family in finding a new property.

The Berkshire council's wholly-owned housing company closed in July 2024 due to rising debts, with properties owned by the firm to be transferred into Reading Borough Council's mainstream housing stock when each individual tenancy ends.

The properties would then be made available as "much-needed" key worker homes at affordable rents, the authority said previously.

Perry-Lee, whose family relocated to a new property in west Reading, said the move had been a "financial death sentence".

"We've moved to a property where the rent is £1,000 higher than our previous home, while simultaneously saddling us with a £7,000 loan," she said.

The parents were now "routinely skipping meals to ensure our children can eat", she said.

"The stress of choosing between bus fares for our children and a grocery shop is a constant, crushing weight.

"The council has effectively legislated us into poverty.

"We are being punished for their mistakes and our children are paying the price."

Reading Borough Council said it had to close Homes for Reading when it became financially unviable, with outstanding loans of £25m.

The authority said it was "committed to helping all tenants find suitable alternative homes".

It said the Perry-Lee family had received support but their new property did not meet the criteria for its rent guarantee scheme, meaning the authority only covered the payment of initial costs.

"Affordability concerns were discussed and lower rent options suggested, however, the family proceeded with a higher‑rent, four‑bedroom property to meet their changed needs, which unfortunately appears to have impacted affordability," it said.

"The council's offer to help this family find an affordable property remains, and we are open to discussing options with them."