Rent-free week lost by tenants
Tuesday 23rd March 2010, 5:59PM GMT.
An annual rent-free week for council tenants in Wolverhampton has been put back by months, it was revealed today.
Fears have been raised that delaying the annual rent holiday could lead to arrears.Rent-free weeks traditionally run in Wolverhampton around Easter and Christmas.
But Wolverhampton Homes has announced that a rent holiday will not be held in Easter this year, and will instead run from March 28 next year.
Another rent-free week will be held from December 20.
One Wolverhampton tenant, who asked not to be named, said: “Many tenants will not be making a rent payment next week due to the usual rent-free week because of Easter.
Wolverhampton Homes this afternoon insisted letters had been sent out to tenants detailing the changes.
Bosses said the letters also contained details of a 2.42 per cent rent rise, which was agreed last month.
Chief executive Lesley Roberts said: “In any financial year tenants will only pay rent for 50 weeks out of a 52-week year.”
Resident Don Jervis, who has lived at St Jospeh’s Court in Merry Hill for 22 years, said: “I budget well and am very careful with my finances so this shouldn’t make any difference. I appreciate the fact that we have any rent-free weeks.”
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This is a joke – wolverhampton homes are completly usesless – what is the use in this -i’ll tell you – NO USE!!!!!!! And whats this jargon about there homes being decent?
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Don Jervis has it right: the fact that there are any rent-free weeks is a luxury and one that the city can ill-afford.
Private tenants and mortgage payers don’t get a week-off every now and then.
However, if people have budgeted with the expectation of a rent-free week it is unfair of the council to take it away without notice.
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I am a council tennant and I have not had any such letter????
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another fantastic idea from wolverhampton homes not! i have to rent private accomodation due to the lack of homes and they sell land to private builders instead of building their own. if they had more houses with people that had jobs renting these then they would have more money instead of canceling this rent free week!
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The 2 weeks are not really rent free weeks, the yearly rent is simply divided by 50 weeks instead of 52, all those privately renting could do the same if they wanted by simply paying a bit more each week and then giving themselves a rent free week.
Also it is the government that has prevented councils from building new council homes, they do not want people who work to have council homes, they want to reduce social housing so that eventually it will only be available for the elderly and those on benefits eg single parents. Not that I am sticking up for Wolverhampton Homes.
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