Response: TSA consultation on affordable rent

By: Deborah Garvie  Published: March 2011

Shelter welcomes the opportunity to respond to this consultation. As an adviser of people in housing need and social tenants, we have a strong interest in the standards that apply to the provision of low-cost rented accommodation in England.

Summary

Shelter is disappointed that the only question asked of respondents relates to the flexibility for private registered providers of social housing, rather than the needs of tenants. We are therefore responding more generally to the TSA’s proposals that, following the outcome of its consultation, it plans to reissue its standards to include the following guidance on Affordable Rent homes:

  • rents in these homes shall be no more than 80% of the market rent for an equivalent property for that size and location
  • providers must use a valuation of market rent in accordance with a RICS recognised method
  • annual increases will be up to RPI + 0.5%
  • providers will be required to rebase the rent on each occasion that a new Affordable Rent tenancy is issued for that property, to ensure that rent remains no
  • more than 80% of market rent.

Download

Download the full document: