Dudley Council tenants face a double rent increase this year as they will not only have to pay extra rent, but also an extra week. The council’s rent bills show there are 53 weeks in the year because 2024 is a leap year and the authority has confirmed that tenants will be expected to pay.
Tenants are already suffering from a 7.7 per cent rent increase, which takes the average cost to £96.21 a week. Tenant Paul Gawdan, of Upper Gornal, the local councillor, said: “So because there’s an extra day in the year, they’ve got 53 financial weeks and they’re asking for 53 weeks’ rent.”
“This means that people like me who are unable to work because of a disability are once again suffering a financial loss. We are crippled by the cost of living crisis and now this.”
Read more: Full list of candidates for Dudley council elections 2024 ahead of biggest vote in 20 years
Join our Black Country News WhatsApp community Here
Kathryn Jones, housing director at Dudley Council, said: “The local authority’s weekly rent payments are due on a Monday and there are 53 Mondays in the 2024/25 financial year, so it will be described as a 53-week year.” “This quirk of the calendar occurs every five or six years.”
“So while tenants pay one week more rent this year, this is offset by tenants paying one day less rent in all other years. “This is because 52 weeks of rent multiplied by seven days equals 364 days, not 365.”
For people on housing benefit, the bill will be footed, but renters relying on Universal Credit will have to come up with the money themselves as the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) will not fund the extra week. The National Housing Federation (NHF), which represents England’s housing associations, is calling for a change in the law to Universal Credit to cover the extra week and is urging people to write to their MPs demanding action.
Read more: The four-step body cleansing “ritual” you should perform in the bathroom to look “visibly younger”
In a statement on its website, the NHF says: “We are concerned about the impact this will have on residents, particularly during a cost of living crisis when many are struggling financially. “Our quarterly NHF survey on Universal Credit shows that residents on Universal Credit are more likely to be behind on rent compared to other residents. This could cause financial and wellbeing problems for residents.
“If residents cannot pay their rent, housing associations also risk getting into financial difficulties at a time of rising costs. This could lead to millions in losses for the sector.” The problem does not only affect tenants in the social housing sector, anyone who pays weekly and is asked to pay on Mondays has to cope with a 53-week year.
Kathryn Jones added: “It affects all tenants renting a property on a weekly tenancy agreement starting on a Monday, regardless of who their landlord is.”
Don’t miss out on the most important and breaking news by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here. Sign up today!
