Your rent explained

When do we review your rent

We review your rent at the start of every financial year and update your rental payment on 1 April. We’ll write to you one month in advance to let you know what your new rent will be.

If you receive housing benefits, you’ll need to inform the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) of any changes to your rent - you can do this by updating your online journal. It’s important to update it as soon as possible so you don’t miss out on the money you’re due. If you need help filling in your journal, please speak to a member of our Income and Advice Services team.

How we calculate your rental increase

We calculate rental increases in line with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard or the terms of your lease. Our calculations are linked to national inflation rates, so rent increases will be higher when inflation is high.

If you rent your home

For our customers who rent, the formula we use is based on CPI, or Consumer Price Inflation. CPI looks at how much prices for certain household goods and services have gone up or down in the last year; this figure is released by the Government every year. We use September CPI + 1% to calculate your rent increase. For example, in 2025, September's CPI rate was 3.8%. Using our formula, we increased rent by 4.8% (3.8% + 1%) for that year.

If you are a shared owner

For shared owners, the formula we use varies, according to the terms of your lease. It is always linked to RPI (Retail Price Index) plus the percentage set out in your lease. RPI is similar to CPI but is based on a different collection of household goods and services. For example, in 2025, we used the September RPI of 4.5% + the percentage specified in the shared owner’s lease.

What your rent pays for

We’re a not-for-profit organisation, and we use income from rents to provide services, invest in existing homes and develop new affordable homes. The costs we pay for services at Moat have increased and we are seeing higher demand for the services we provide. We need to make sure we have enough money to invest in existing homes, and to plan for the future.

If your account is in arrears

If you’re behind in your rent payments, please do get in touch. Our Income and Advice Services team can offer support and guidance. This may include setting up a payment plan, checking you’re getting all the benefits you’re due or referring you to an organisation who can help.

Take a look at our money and benefits support page