How we set your rent and service charges

If you live in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend or Carmarthenshire changes will come into effect from 1st April 2026. 

If you live in RCT changes come into effect from 3rd April 2026.

For all areas changes to Direct Debit we’ll automatically start collecting the new amount from 28th March. 

You can find how to pay your rent and service charge here.

If you pay your rent another way, then from the dates above you’ll need to pay the new amount shown in your personal rent letter.    

If you are charged weekly the first amount will be a one-off amount due to part of the week being calculated on your current charges and part of the week being calculated on your new 2026/27 charges. Ongoing charges will be calculated on your new 2026/27 charges only. 

Beacon is a social business with rents as the primary income stream. We don’t make profits for shareholders and all income pays for the buildings and services we provide. The costs of building and services typically increase annually, and we apply an annual uplift to the rent roll to ensure we can continue to provide safe buildings and quality services. Rents and service charges are reviewed annually in accordance with the Welsh Government’s Rents and Service Charges Standard 2026-2036 and then approved by our Board in accordance with local policies.  For 2026/27, the maximum increase to the total rent roll permitted by Welsh Government is 4.3%.  Beacon aims to provide safe, quality homes for less than you’d pay a private landlord.

If you are worried about paying your rent and/or charges, please talk to us at the earliest opportunity.  

We know making the first step to ask for help can be daunting but please do speak to us as soon as you become concerned about being able to pay. The earlier you talk to us the faster we can help.  Everyone’s circumstances are different, and we will listen to you to help us understand your personal situation. We aim to work with you to help you budget in a way that’s affordable for you. 

You can call us on 01792 479200 to speak to Beacon’s Rent Management Team who will be happy to discuss your options.  

More information on how we can help you can be found here.

On 2nd January 2025 Coastal Housing and RHA Wales merged to form Beacon Cymru. The merger has not directly impacted how much you pay. While separate affordability models were used for the two former housing association areas the decision on any rent changes was made by Beacon’s board. Two of the priorities for Beacon’s new resident engagement strategy are rent setting policy and service charge standards. This will help inform a new Beacon rent policy for 2027.  

Rent  pays for services and work that ensures compliance with building safety needs, day-to-day repairs and longer-term maintenance such as replacement kitchen and window programmes and work to improve the energy efficiency of home. The rent also pays for Beacon staff and contractors and the services they provide. It also enables the repayment of loans to build and maintain homes. 

Beacon aims to provide safe, quality homes at rent levels that are affordable to local communities. Rents are reviewed annually in accordance with limits set by Welsh Government. 

Beacon’s board make the final decision on rent setting, ensuring there has been affordability testing, resident engagement and that any changes are both within Welsh Government limits and support the needs of the financial business plan. You can view an animation explaining this in more detail at the top of the page.

We review and change service charges every year. The reviewed service charges will take into account the costs of providing the service and the various contract and lease agreements on how these are to be charged. 

This is a summary of some of the main service charges: 

The above list is not exhaustive. 

Eligibility rules are sometimes different between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit. If you have communal water rates and the scheme you live on has a communal laundry Universal Credit will consider this an eligible service charge, Housing Benefit may consider it an ineligible charge, that means you would have to pay this yourself. 

A fixed service charge is a set charge that residents pay, which does not change based on actual costs incurred during the year. The charge is set at the beginning of the year and remain the same throughout, regardless of whether actual costs are higher or lower. 

A variable service charge is a paid by contract holders or leaseholders to cover the cost of services provided to their building or estate. At the start of the financial year, an estimate of service costs is provided in your letter.  Residents then pay in line with their lease agreement or occupation contract. At the end of the financial year there is a reconciliation. If the actual costs are higher than estimated, residents are required to pay the difference. If the actual costs are lower, residents receive a refund or credit.  A summary of accounts must be produced within 6 months of the end of the financial year and issued to every resident on a variable service charge.

No. Welsh Government provides rent control for ‘social rent’ properties through the Rent and Service Charge Standard. This standard runs to 2036 and permits rents to be increased by a maximum of September Consumer Prices Index (CPI) +1% (in aggregate)  However, if CPI is between 3% to 5% its plus 0.5%, if CPI is over 5% Welsh Government ‘calls in’ the decision for that year. 

For 2026/27 rents, the maximum rent increase is +4.3% overall.  

The maximum permitted rent increase for an individual property in 2026/27 is 4.3% plus £2.55 per week.  

*CPI is published by the Office for National Statistics. It measures the average change from month to month in the prices of goods and services purchased by most households in the UK. The government uses the CPI as the basis for its inflation target and for uprating of state pensions and state benefits. 

Many of the properties Beacon own and manage are not defined by the term ‘social rent’ and therefore are not subject to Welsh Governments’ Rent and Service Charge Standard. This includes extra care housing, supported housing, intermediate rent properties, Welsh Housing Partnership properties, etc. These rents are set by Beacon and we have also capped increases 4.3% You can find out more here.

Shared ownership, leasehold and ground rent increases are typically in line with the specified contract terms. 

Beacon has a new resident engagement strategy and two of the priority areas for 2026 is rent setting policy and service charge standards. There will opportunity for you to get involved in this, visit out Resident Engagement page for more information. 

Our estates team carry out different tasks at each scheme and this will depend on a number of factors such as the size of the external grounds, if there are any shrubbed/planted areas, bin stores and bin areas, and whether there are internal areas that our estates team may clean, or just monitor.