Rugby council considers increasing council house rents to fund the buying of more housing and improvements to existing homes

Rugby council is to consider increasing housing rent by 1.5 per cent to fund improvements to council homes.

The proposal will be discussed at a meeting on February 2 and, should it be agreed on, the rise would take effect from April 1.

The recommended increase means an average weekly rent rise of £1.45 for a council home - bringing the average weekly rent to £86.59.

Service charges at council properties look set to largely remain unchanged.

A spokesperson for Rugby council said: "The proposed rise keeps council rents well below rents in the private sector, with the average weekly rent of a two-bedroomed council property £92.28 compared to £153.49 in Rugby's private sector."

A report on the proposals argues that the extra money be put towards the rollout of energy-efficient boilers to 610 council homes, and the installation of new bathrooms at 125 properties.

The report also recommends that the council buys around a dozen new council homes between now and next year.

Cllr Emma Crane, Rugby Borough Council portfolio for communities and homes, said: "While we're always conscious of the impact of a rent increase on our tenants, the proposed 1.5 per cent increase allows us to carry on our programme of improvements to council homes while keeping our rents significantly below market rents in the private sector and those of housing associations.

"The proposals also mean we can invest in new properties, expanding both the number and choice of homes we can offer residents."