HC Deb 07 November 1969 vol 790 cc184-5W
184W
§
- 1. Subject to the following paragraph, standard rent will be increased only to the extent necessary to meet unavoidable increases in costs or to reduce an unduly high rate fund contribution.
- 2. In any period of 52 weeks, no general increase in standard rent will involve an increase of more than 7s. 6d. a week averaged over the houses whose rents are increased. Similarly in any such period of 52 weeks no increase in the standard rent of any individual house, whether or not made as part of a general increase, will exceed 10s. a week.
- 3. Where the authority do not already operate a rent rebate scheme, any increase of standard rents will be accompanied by the introduction of a rent rebate scheme. Where a rent rebate scheme is already in operation, but an increase of standard rents would lead to an increase of rebated rents, the rebate scheme will be revised. Any revision of a rent rebate scheme, whether or not in conjunction with an increase of standard rents, will not result in the local authority's total rent income being increased, subject to the exception that an increase resulting from the adoption of recommendations by the Secretary of State will he permissible.
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- 4. The term standard rent excludes any payment for rates or services. Any increase in a separate charge for services will not be greater than the amount necessary to cover the increase in the cost of the service since the charge was last fixed. Increases due solely to improvements to the dwelling will be excluded from the limitations under the agreement.
- 5. An increase in standard rent is an increase charged to an existing tenant of a local authority. If there have been previous general increases in standard rent within any period of 52 weeks ending on the date of the new increase, then the limitations of 7s. 6d. and 10s. will apply to the sum of the previous and new average and individual increases respectively and not to the average of these increases over the 52 week period.