About your rent

Learn about rent reviews, payment plans and available financial help.

Paying your rent in advance 

Your rent and charges must be paid in advance. This means you need to pay rent when it’s due so you do not fall behind in between payments. For example, if you pay monthly, you must make sure your account does not fall into arrears between payments — even if your payments are received through benefits paid in arrears.
 
Paying on time is part of your tenancy agreement and helps you avoid debt and other problems later. 

Why you need to pay your rent

We are proud of our homes and the people who live in them.

If you are struggling with payments 

If you fall behind or think you might, please get in touch as soon as possible. We can:

  • Agree affordable repayment plans

  • Support you through difficult financial situations

  • Give benefits advice


Important:

  • Don’t ignore the problem

  • If you suspect an illegal lender, get help at the Stop Loan Sharks website

  • Don’t borrow from door‑to‑door or payday lenders

  • Don’t ignore our letters, calls, texts, or emails

Please fill out the form below.

Rent statements with MyRiverside

Extra financial help 

If you are struggling to afford your rent, talk to us. We have a Helping Hand Fund of £500,000 to support customers facing financial or other challenges. 

Find out more

How is rent reviewed?

Each year, we carry out a rent consultation to review rent levels and ensure they are fair, affordable and sustainable.

Key dates
New charges apply from 1 April 2026

Rent Increase
In 2026/27 our Board approved a 5.7% rent increase.

How is your rent spent
Your rent helps fund repairs, maintenance, services, and investment in homes and communities.

A full breakdown of how every £1 is spent is in our Annual Performance Report.

We develop a proposal
  • We carefully assess our financial position, rising costs and future plans.
  • This includes looking at repairs, maintenance, investment in homes and neighbourhoods, and wider economicfactors like inflation and increasing material costs.
  • We aim to set the lowest possible rent increase that still allows us to maintain services and invest in homes. 
We consult with tenants
  • We write to all tenants with details of the proposed rent increase and the reasons behind it.
  • Tenants are invited to share their views and feedback by a set deadline.
  • In some years we may offer options, but where finances are tight, we may present one proposed increase to be fully transparent about what is needed.
We consider affordability and value for money
  • We compare our proposed increase with the wider housing sector to ensure it remains competitive.
  • We consider the cost-of-living pressures on tenants alongside the need to avoid delaying essential investment, which could lead to higher costs in future.
  • Our rent structure reflects property size and type, so increases vary between homes. 
We review feedback and make a decision
  • All tenant feedback is reviewed alongside financial evidence.
  • A report is presented to the organisation’s Board, who make the final decision on rent levels.
We confirm and support
  • Once agreed tenants will receive at least four weeks’ notice before the new rent takes effect explaining your rent for the next financial year (April–March).
  • We continue to provide money advice, financial support and wider services to help tenants manage their rent.