Rent Setting
Blackpool Council wants to be clear about how we set and increase rents for tenants and future tenants of Blackpool Council, whose homes are managed by Blackpool Coastal Housing (BCH.)
To do this, Blackpool Council will soon be publishing a Rent Setting Policy. The policy informs tenants and future tenants on how rents will be set and increased.
Why we need to increase rents
Blackpool has some of the lowest social rents in the country. In 2025 they were the 11th lowest in the country, out of 296 local authorities and many of our rents are set below social rents. (The table below provides a comparison of average social rents within Blackpool, the North West and England)
| Area | Average social housing rent |
| Blackpool Council | £87.19 |
| All Blackpool | £90.63 |
| North West | £100.51 |
| England | £113.69 |
We are committed to keeping social housing rents as low as possible, however we must also set rents to generate additional funding to invest back into our properties and the services we provide, to ensure that our homes are safe and well maintained.
We also believe that rents should be set fairly and tenants in similar properties should pay the same rent.
In February 2026 the Government published the Rent Standard, 2026 which gives guidance to registered providers on how they want registered providers to set rents. As a registered provider, Blackpool Council’s Rent Setting Policy follows these rules.
What this means for future tenants:
When properties become empty we will review the rent and re-set the amount to make it the same as similar social housing properties.
This includes applying ‘Rent Flexibility’ which allows us to increase rents by an extra 5% or 10%.
What this means for current tenants
Subject to Council approval, in April 2027 rents will be increased either:
- By the Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 1%. For 2026/27 this was a 4.8% rise.
For example; if the rent was £100 a week, it increased to £104.80 per week
- By CPI (Consumer Price Index) + 1% and an additional £1 a week to bring low rents in line with average social housing rents. This is known as ‘Rent Convergence’.
If all your rent is paid by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (Housing Element), your benefits will increase when your rent increases.
If all or part of your rent (including any under-occupation charge) is not paid by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit then you will need to increase the amount you pay in line with the new rent charge.
If approved, all tenants will receive a rent increase notice with confirmation of the new rent amount and further advice.
Blackpool Council maintains that social housing rents will remain affordable for all current and future tenants, despite necessary annual increases.
We want to hear from you.
If you have any rent concerns now or as a result of rent increases, please contact the BCH Rents Team on 01253 477900 (Select option 1) or email rent@bch.co.uk
If you are an existing tenant and have any view on how we set rents for new lets or apply rent flexibility please contact us by 1st September 2026 on 01253 477900 (Select option 4, then option 2) or email enquiries@bch.co.uk