The new Rent Standard sets out rent policy from 1 April 2026 onwards.
The Regulator of Social Housing has published the Rent Standard 2026 for social landlords.
The government published a revised Policy statement on rents for social housing on Wednesday 28 January 2026, which sets out rent policy from 1 April 2026 onwards. The government has directed RSH to set a rent standard that reflects the government's 10-year rent settlement.
The revised rent standard will apply to all social landlords (private registered providers and local authorities) from 1 April 2026. From then, social landlords must ensure they comply with all the requirements and expectations set out in the standard and the policy statement.
The standard sets out the following:
- Social landlords will generally be allowed to increase rents for social rent and affordable rent homes by up to CPI +1% each year.
- Landlords will be able to further increase the weekly rent on social rent homes that are currently below 'formula rent'. As well as the CPI +1% increase, rents for these homes can increase by up to £1 more each week from 1 April 2027. From 1 April 2028, these rents can increase by up to £2 per week, until formula rent is reached. Further detail can be found in the rent standard.
Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive of RSH said:
"We are pleased to be able to finalise our rent standard based on the direction from the government.
"This will bring more certainty to the sector, so landlords can plan for their investment in the quality of existing homes and more homes for the future."
The Rent Standard 2026 and associated guidance is available on RSH's website .
Notes
- The Government's policy statement and direction is available on the MHCLG website.
- Social Rents are set using a formula specified by government. This creates a 'formula rent' for each property, which is calculated in a way that takes account of the relative value of the property, the size of the property and relative local income levels.
- RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver more and better social homes. It does this by setting standards and carrying out robust regulation focusing on driving improvement in social landlords, including local authorities, and ensuring that housing associations are well-governed, financially viable and offer value for money. It takes appropriate action if the outcomes of the standards are not being delivered.
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