Council approves 7% rent increase for council tenants

A consultation was carried out with council tenants at the end of last year and 66 per cent of those who took part agreed with plans to raise rents by seven per cent to allow us to continue to deliver our housing service and modernisation and new build programmes.  

This means that the average rent for council tenants will rise by £6.12 to £93.58, effective from Monday 6 April 2026.

Councillor Andy Forrest, Cabinet Spokesperson for Housing and Property Maintenance, said: “Thank you to all the tenants who took part in last year’s rent level consultation. Your views are important to us in understanding your satisfaction levels with our housing service, your thoughts on the amount of rent you pay and to ensure that we are spending your rent on the things that matter most to you. The survey showed that our tenants put most value on the repairs service and door and window replacements, followed by modernisation including energy efficiency measures, and investing in new council homes. It was also heartening to see that 65 per cent of those who responded felt that the rent they pay is good value for money.

“East Lothian rents remain some of the lowest in Scotland, despite the pressure on our housing service as our county continues to be one of the fastest growing areas. It’s never an easy decision to increase rents and if anyone is having difficulty they can get financial advice at www.eastlothian.gov.uk/boost where there are contact details for getting in touch directly.”

Council also approved a Housing Revenue Account expenditure budget for 2026/27 of £44.430m, an increase of around £3m on last year, which will be spent on service costs including repairs and staffing. The Capital budget of £50,454m will be invested in new council housing, modernisation, extensions and energy efficiency improvements to existing council properties.