Rent increases

Increasing rent

Universal Credit

You must inform the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) of the change to your weekly rent. You need to do this by Monday 6 April 2026. If you do not notify DWP, you will not get your full housing allowance and could fall behind in your rent and service charges.

If you attempt to change your weekly rent before Monday 6 April 2026, this will not be actioned and you will have enter the data again.

For more information, please visit the Universal Credit website. 

Find out ways you can pay your rent

Annual rent increase

Rents and service charges for Tower Hamlets Council homes will be increasing from Monday 6 April 2026.

In line with the government's policy for setting council rents, we are increasing rents by the cap of 4.8 per cent for the year. All payments will be reinvested into improving homes and the services we provide.

Hardship Fund

If you are concerned about paying your rent, we are here to help. We are introducing a new £400,000 hardship fund to support residents who are not receiving housing benefit but are finding it difficult to manage the rising cost of living.

Our hardship fund application form will be made available to tenants on this webpage from April 2026.

You can also access advice and support through our Financial Inclusion service. Please visit our difficulties paying your rent page for further information on how to access support.