Rent rise aims to improve housing standards

Rents for council homes in Cornwall are set to rise by 4.8% under proposals aimed at improving the quality of the local authority's housing stock.

Cornwall Council's corporate finance scrutiny committee agreed on Tuesday the 2026/27 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) business plan should move forward to Cornwall Council's cabinet for consideration.

If approved, the increase would see a typical three-bedroom household pay an extra £5 a week, or £260 a year in rent.

Louise Wood, service director for planning and housing, said it was "a long journey to get the council homes where we want them to be, but this will put us in a different position to where we've been".

About 1,500 Cornwall Council properties fall short of the Decent Homes Standard – the minimum benchmark for safe, secure and comfortable housing, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Of the local authority's 10,400 social housing properties, 200 are currently void – empty or temporarily vacant.

The council is due to invest £74m of revenue over the next five years in repairs, maintenance and damp and mould improvements and spend £140m to build and acquire new council homes by 2036/37.

The meeting was told there will be capital investment of more than £850m over the next 30 years, with £254m investment over the next eight years, to achieve homes of a decent standard.

The committee was told the work to improve the housing stock's condition was estimated to require an additional £24m.

The HRA business plan is due to go before the cabinet for consideration this month before a period of engagement with tenants.

A final decision on the proposals, including the rent rise, is due to be made in March.

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