Since 2001 we (and all other social landlords - housing associations and local councils) have been required to use a Government formula to set your rent.

The formula is based on:

The rent calculated in this way is called the ‘Formula rent’.

We charge affordable rents to fund the building of new homes in our area, and the rent is calculated to be:

For example, if a home similar to yours was rented by a private landlord for £100 per week, we would only charge you a maximum of £80 per week.

Every time an affordable rent property is re-let the rent will be recalculated (known as ‘rebasing’) to make sure it remains no more than 80% of a current private rent.

Shared ownership properties will increase annually depending on the individual lease or tenancy agreement. Some are linked to RPI (Retail Price Index), some to CPI, while some include an additional percentage uplift, and others are based on a fixed percentage increase. Please refer to the terms of your lease or tenancy agreement.

Paying your rent is one of the most important parts of your tenancy agreement. If you do not pay your rent, you could lose your home and it will also make it financially difficult for us to repair and maintain all of our properties. Rent must be paid a week in advance. 

We will clearly show how much the rent and any service charges for your home will be. 

Each year our Board will confirm the increase to be applied to all rents. For both domestic properties and garages this will typically be by CPI (Consumer Price Index) + a maximum of 1%. 

Shared ownership properties will increase annually depending on the individual lease or tenancy agreement. Some are linked to RPI (Retail Price Index), some to CPI, while some include an additional percentage uplift, and others are based on a fixed percentage increase. Please refer to the terms of your lease or tenancy agreement.

Your new rent is payable from the first Monday in April each year. We will write to you at least one calendar month before the new rent is due. 

If you receive Housing Benefit then we will tell the local Council that we have increased your rent. If you receive Universal Credit, you will need to update the DWP. They will then work out your entitlement and write to you to let you know.

If you pay by Direct Debit then we will automatically increase your payments and you do not need to let your bank know.

If you pay by Standing Order then you will need to contact your bank to let them know the new amount that your standing order must cover.

If you pay by card, cheque, post, over the internet or over the phone then you will need to start paying the new amount from the date it takes effect.

You can ask us to explain in more detail how we have calculated the rent and to check that it is correct. If you are still not happy some tenants can appeal to an independent tribunal; Citizens Advice can assist you to do this.

Dependent on the type of tenancy you hold with us, you may be entitled to four rent-free weeks throughout the year. 

Each rent year runs from the first Monday in April, through to the day before the first Monday in April the following year. Depending on where the first Monday in April falls, this sometimes means that the rent year runs for 53 weeks before the rent is increased again. 

In 52 week years we charge over 48 weeks, in 53 week years we charge over 49 weeks. This means that there are always 4 weeks each year where we make no charge - 2 at the start of April and 2 over Christmas and the New Year.

Please refer to your tenancy agreement for more information on payment schedules.

If you are in arrears at these times you should continue to make your normal payments.

Freebridge Community Housing charge affordable rents (which are typically higher than our ‘social’ rents) on properties which have often had improvement works.

An affordable rent is set when a property is first advertised, so you will know before you choose to bid for a property how much the rent is. Current Freebridge tenants who choose to move to another home should also consider this when bidding.

If you are successfully nominated to us by West Norfolk Home Choice for a property on an affordable rent then we will also make a detailed assessment of your finances, to make sure that you can afford the rent, before proceeding with an offer of a tenancy.

If we feel that you will not be able to afford the rent then we may decline your nomination, or we may offer you an alternative property at a ‘social’ (lower) rent.

If you live in a property with shared facilities, such as a block of flats or a sheltered scheme, you may have to pay additional charges to cover the cost of maintaining the communal areas.

If you do have to pay a service charge, you will receive a separate statement each year showing you how much you have been charged, and how much the services cost.

We will only make a reasonable charge for these services in addition to the net rent; the total of both the net rent and any service charges will be treated in our Tenancy Agreements, and as part of our collection processes, within the total rent charge of the property.

Service Charges are calculated by reviewing the actual costs incurred for services during 2023/24 and early 2024/25. We then apply any over or under charges from previous years to calculate the weekly figure that you will pay from April 2025.

If one of your charges is zero in 2025/26 it is likely to be because our estimate last year was too high.

If you live in a property with shared facilities, such as a block of flats or a sheltered scheme, you may have to pay additional charges to cover the cost of maintaining the communal areas.

If you do have to pay a service charge, you will receive a separate statement each year showing you how much you have been charged, and how much the services cost.

We will only make a reasonable charge for these services in addition to the net rent; the total of both the net rent and any service charges will be treated in our Tenancy Agreements, and as part of our collection processes, within the total rent charge of the property.

If you are a Leaseholder or Shared Owner, the service charges you pay will be in accordance with your lease; if you do not hold a copy of your lease please contact us and we will be happy to provide this to you.

Service charges are calculated by reviewing the actual cost of providing services over the previous 12 to 24 months and considering any known future contract or price increases.

We then take into account any overpayments or underpayments from previous years to calculate the charge payable from April.

If one of your service charges has reduced to zero, this is likely because the previous estimate was higher than the actual cost incurred.

No. This statement is provided for information only and does not request payment.

This statement compares estimated costs with actual costs. It does not show payments made during the year.

If you would like to see a breakdown of your payments, did you know you can view this on our tenant portal?

Please click this link here to take you to this section, where you can either log in or sign up to access the benefits of our portal, at your convenience.

Some costs can change during the year. For example, utility prices may increase, additional repairs may be required, or contractor costs may vary. This means actual costs can sometimes be higher or lower than estimated.

If actual costs are lower than estimated, this will be reflected when future service charges are calculated, in line with the terms of your tenancy or lease agreement.

If actual costs are higher than estimated, this may need to be taken into account when future service charges are calculated.

Yes. If you would like more information about the charges shown on your statement, please contact us and we will explain the costs in more detail.

Please get in touch as soon as possible and we'll review the information with you.

Yes, Universal Credit and Housing Benefit cover eligible service charges connected to your accommodation, but they do not pay for personal utility bills or daily living costs.

Charges that are covered:

Cleaning, lighting, and heating of shared areas or stairways

Maintenance and running costs of lifts

Rubbish and refuse collection

Caretaking and communal garden upkeep

External window cleaning (upper floors)

A variable service charge changes based on the actual cost of services, resulting in a refund or extra charge at the end of the year if estimates were wrong.

A fixed service charge stays a set amount written in your agreement, meaning you do not get a refund or pay more if real costs differ.

No, housing associations like Freebridge are not legally not allowed to make a profit on service charges.

Under UK regulations and the Landlord and Tenant Act, service charges must strictly cover the actual costs of providing communal services and maintenance, meaning residents should only ever pay the exact cost of the services received.

Charges are based on the specific services your block or estate receives. A neighbour might pay different amounts if they live in a different block with different facilities - e.g, one may have a lift.

Also, they could have a different tenancy or lease agreement that means they pay a different amount.

The electricity charge on your statement is for communal areas and is separate from the energy you use inside your own home.

This fee covers the administrative costs of managing the services, such as tendering contractors, checking and paying invoices, and preparing your estimates and annual statements.