Rent hikes of up to £19 a week for transferred homes

FOURTEEN former Housing Executive (NIHE) properties, which were transferred to a housing association in Londonderry in 2011, have undergone rent hikes of up to £19 per week after improvements were carried out, the Sentinel can reveal.
By Kevin Mullan
Published 10th Mar 2013, 16:18 BST

A total of 55 houses in Rinmore Drive, Creggan, were transferred from the NIHE to the Apex Housing Association in 2011. Fourteen of these properties have had improvements carried out and have consequently undergone rent hikes. Last June a number of the properties saw rents rise from £54.39 per week up to between £69.92 and £73.60.

Last October a number of properties increased from £54.39 per week up to between £69.92 and £71.60. And last November a number increased from £54.39 per week up to between £69.92 and £71.60. A number of other properties have had no rent increases since October 2011.

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Housing Minister Nelson McCausland stated: “Of the 55 properties, 14 have had improvements completed with the rent charge increasing accordingly, four are currently undergoing improvements and the rent charge has not changed at this stage.

“Improvements to the remaining 37 properties have not yet commenced and the rent charge has also not changed.”

The Minister explained that the rent charge on the unimproved units was set by the Housing Executive in 2011/12 and will not be increased until the reimprovement works are completed.