Anger as garage rents double

Lease holders have accused Wolverhampton Homes of discrimination after the housing body doubled their garage rent rates, while effectively freezing charges for council tenants.

Wolverhampton Homes has created a two-tier payment system, with a 44 per cent increase for lease holders renting the same standard garages as council tenants.

Members of Wolverhampton Lease Holders Forum sent off letters of complaint to the local ombudsman, but to no avail, and have now conceded defeat in their fight to reverse the increase.

Last month, garage rents for lease holders were raised from by £2.82 to £4.26, but council tenants have been given an inflation rise of 15p to £2.97 a week.

Councillor Wendy Thompson has described Wolverhampton Homes' dual rent system as "grossly unfair" and believes that rates should be level across the board.

"Why should owner-occupiers have to pay nearly twice as much for a garage than council-tenants?" she said.

"Residents are very concerned and upset about it - it's disgraceful and grossly unfair.

"I wouldn't mind but the garages are not even in good condition - they look like bomb sites."

She added that many lease holders were pensioners on fixed incomes.

A member of Wolverhampton Lease Holders Forum, who asked not to be named, said historically, lease holders had always paid the same as council tenants.

"Our grievance is with the creation of this two-tier system," he said.

"All we have done is exercise our right to buy our property, and yet we have had this disproportionate raise inflicted upon us.

"Wolverhampton City Council is still our landlord, and we still pay service charges - it is bizarre," he added.

The lease holders forum will be meeting at Coven Lodge, Cannock Road, on Wednesday evening.

No-one was available at Wolverhampton City Council to comment.

By Steve Wright