Rent Increase Consultation Results 2025
Introduction
In accordance with the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, the Association has a duty to consult tenants on proposed rent increases and have regard to tenants’ opinions before making a decision. The purpose of this report is to inform the Board about the outcomes of the 2025 Rent Increase Consultation.
The Consultation Microsite was updated with the 2025 data and a leaflet with identical information was produced for offline tenants. Information on how to take part in the consultation was set out via the My Home mailing list or via Royal Mail for offline tenants.
Consultation Process
1,396 tenants were consulted, 1,222 (88%) via the My Home mail-out tool and 174 (12%) via Royal Mail. The Consultation Form went live on 1 January 2025, and letters and e-mails were sent once the office reopened.
In addition to the mailing, a first reminder was sent via Beeline to all Platinum non-responders on 15 January 2024, an automated reminder was sent via My Home to Platinum non-responders on 23 January 2025. A follow-up email was sent to Platinum non-responders on 27 January 2025. Banners were prominently displayed on the elha.com front page and in the My Home dashboard, The consultation was promoted in the January e-Talk, the link to the consultation in each tenant’s My Home account was a highlighted red button and the monthly ‘thank you’ message all paper-free tenants receive when they pay their rent also included a link to the consultation.
Responding to this consultation is a requirement for receiving a Platinum Key Tenant discount.
The proposed increase was the October RPI (3.4%) plus 1.5%, for a total increase of 4.9%. Included in the consultation was further promotion of the Housing Perks, which all Bronze, Gold and Platinum tenants are eligible for.
Tenants were also asked about their Key Tenant Status.
Consultation Responses
433 (30.9%) tenants responded, a slight decrease from 31.5% in 2024. Only two offline tenants returned a paper form, a drop from seven last year.
Results
Will You Reduce Your Rent Increase by Claiming New or Additional Key Tenant Discounts?
| Number of responders | Percentage of total | |
|---|---|---|
| I am already receiving Key Tenant Discounts | 378 | 87% |
| I don't receive any Key Tenant Discounts but would like to apply | 5 | 1% |
| I don't want to receive Key Tenant Discounts | 11 | 3% |
| I would like to upgrade to receive higher Key Tenant Discounts | 39 | 9% |
Will You Reduce the Impact of Your Rent Increase by Using Housing Perks Discounts?
| Number of responders | Percentage of total | |
|---|---|---|
| I don't plan to download the Housing Perks App | 79 | 18% |
| I have already downloaded the Housing Perks App in order to access discount vouchers | 222 | 51% |
| I plan to download the Housing Perks App to access discount vouchers | 132 | 31% |
Are You Happy with the Proposed Rent Increase of Inflation Plus 1.5%?
| Number of responders | Percentage of total | |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 258 | 60% |
| No | 175 | 40% |
Are You Happy with the Proposed Rent Increase of Inflation Plus 1.5%?
General Trends over the Last Five Years
Number / Percentage of Responders
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Responders | 379 | 345 | 443 | 426 | 433 |
| Percentage of Total Tenants | 28.5% | 25.9% | 33.4% | 31.5% | 30.9% |
Tenant Comments
We responded to all tenants who made additional comments, asked questions or requested clarification on points raised in the consultation or general tenancy issues. There were a significant number of replies needed and we tried to do this in line with our customer service targets, sending an apology where there was a delay.