Find out about the rent we charge for council homes and garages, and other associated charges.
- rent for council homes
- heating charges
- water charges
- independent living scheme charge
- communal area cleaning charges
- garden assistance scheme
- home contents insurance
- garage and garage site rent
Rent
We charge two types of rent on our council homes. Most are charged a social rent and a small number of properties are charged an affordable rent.
How are rents set?
Rent setting
In accordance with the Government’s National Social Rent Policy rents may increase by up to Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) plus 1%. The basis for annual rent increases is the September Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) which in 2024 was 1.7%, meaning the rent increase for April 2025 will be 2.7%.
This policy is also confirmed in the Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) Rent Standard, which applies to all social housing providers.
Homes charged a social rent
As of 25 November 2024, Chesterfield Borough Council owned 8,753 social rent properties. A social rent is calculated by a formula based on local earnings (70%) and property values (30%) in 1999 and then adjusted to account for the number of bedrooms in a property. Annual increases are then linked to the September rate of inflation. This formula sets a target rent for the property.
Homes charged an affordable rent
As of 25 November 2024 Chesterfield Borough Council let six homes at an affordable rent. Chesterfield Borough Council’s ‘affordable rent’ homes are properties which were delivered through the Affordable Homes Programme 2011 to 2015. Affordable rent is subject to rent controls that limit the rent at letting of a new tenancy, to 80% of the local market rent (including service charges) at that time.
Whilst ever the tenancy remains unchanged, rent increases follow the Rent Standard which allows them to be increased by up to CPI + 1% in 2025 to 2026.
On a change of tenancy, the rent must be re-calculated by reference to 80% of the market rent (again inclusive of service charges) at that date. This may mean that the rent could decrease rather than rise, depending on market conditions at the time. The affordable rent must not be lower than what would be the social formula rent for the property.
Average rents for 2025 to 2026
Applying the rent formula across the homes in our stock gives an average social rent in 2025 to 2026 of £98.84 per week and an average affordable rent of £118.74 per week:
Social general needs:
- 8,606 properties
- average rent 2025 to 2026 £98.74
Social sheltered (independent living schemes):
- 141 properties
- average rent 2025 to 2026 £104.99
Affordable general needs:
- 6 properties
- average rent 2025 to 2026 £118.74
Service charges
You may have to pay service charges if you have communal facilities or some specific services. Some charges are based on the size of your property or level of service that you receive. Service charges are set annually at rates set to recover the cost of providing the service.
Heating charges
Tenants that live in our independent living schemes are linked to a group heating scheme and pay for heat through a service charge. Service charges paid with the rent apply to all tenants linked to a group heating scheme. The charge for heating did not change in 2025 to 2026 due to the stabilisation of energy prices.
Heating charges are not eligible for Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit.
2025 to 2026 charge (per week):
- 1 bedroom - £24.04
- 2 bedroom - £24.72
- 3 bedroom - £25.40
Water charges
With the exception of some of our independent living schemes, we no longer collect water charges on behalf of Severn Trent. The weekly charge for water where we still collect is £3.99 per week.
This charge is not eligible for Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit.
Independent living scheme service charge
A service charge is payable for the running and maintenance of the communal facilities at our independent living schemes and building monitoring functions. This includes the 24/7 monitoring of the Careline alarms, lifts, door entry panels, smoke and fire alarms. The service charge is £23.94 per week and applies to all independent living schemes. This will continue to be reviewed annually.
This charge is eligible for Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit.
If you are a tenant in one of our independent living schemes you can subscribe to the Careline falls and response service for extra support if required. The additional cost is £6.96 per week paid by Direct Debit and is a separate agreement with Careline.
Find out more about Chesterfield Careline or speak to an independent living scheme support officer.
Communal area cleaning
The weekly cleaning charge for block of flats is £2.90 per week.
Communal area cleaning charges are eligible for Housing Benefit and the housing element of Universal Credit.
The charges listed below are additional charges that you can choose to add to your rent account. Careline is charged separately.
Garden assistance scheme
The garden assistance scheme is available to tenants who have difficulty maintaining their gardens. The charges for the service are set out below. Find more information on eligibility for the scheme.
Charges for 2025 to 2026 (per week):
- grass cut - £4.70
- hedge cut - £0.91
- grass and hedge cut - £5.61
This charge is not eligible for Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit.
Home contents insurance
Home contents cover is an additional charge that can be added to your rent account if you choose to take out home contents insurance through Chesterfield Borough Council. Find out more here.
Garages and garage sites
A charge is payable by both tenants and non-tenants who rent a garage or lease a garage site. Please note, that VAT is also payable by non Chesterfield Borough Council tenants.
Charges for 2025 to 2026:
- garage rent - £10.12 per week
- garage site (shale surface) - £74.92 per year
- garage site (asphalt) - £94.26 per year
- garage site (other) - £103.22 per year
Find out more information about garages and garage sites.