THOUSANDS of council tenants are to be hit with a rent rise, despite consistent complaints of damp, mould and weeks-long waits for repairs.

A decision to bump up the average weekly rent by almost 5 per cent was agreed at a Town Hall meeting last night (Thursday) and will see the rate for a two-bed flat increase by almost £7 a week.

Housing campaigners warned that the move will “impoverish families” already struggling to make ends meet, and called on Islington Council to appeal for extra funding from central government, rather than placing the burden on tenants.

“There are so many families already doing two or three jobs to try and cover the cost of housing,” said Morag Gillie, from Islington Homes for All. “This is going to lead to more people relying on housing benefit.”

She added: “They’re not getting a better service, there is no extra money going in to cover the repairs. They are punishing tenants for their failure to demand central government funding.”

For most, the increased cost will be covered by their housing benefit, but low-income tenants and those crossing over into pension age are likely to be hit hard.

“Linked with the increased rates of food bills, this is going to be quite a combination,” said Mike Sanderson from Islington Pensioners Forum. “Inflation is already going up, and the grocery bill is going up at a faster rate than that.”

He added: “This will certainly impact people who are just on a state pension. Everything is going up, it goes up every year. Do we expect a better service? I don’t think so. We’re powerless over it and we see very little, if any, improvement in services”.

AD: YOU CAN GET FREE ACCESS TO AUDIOBOOKS WITH A SIMPLE-TO CANCEL 30-DAY TRIAL OF AUDIBLE

The Town Hall have long argued that they need to boost income in order to cover the ever-growing bill for repair works, but Ms Gillie said that a rent hike for tenants will do little to fill the black hole.

“I want to stress that rent increases will not address the funding crisis of the HRA [the ring-fenced account covering the cost of maintaining council stock],” she said.

“They admit there is not enough money to maintain housing standards.”

The budget presented to the executive committee yesterday included admissions from the council that “the shortfall in available resources will reduce the council’s ability to invest in maintaining the condition of existing homes and over time will lead to significant deterioration in our housing stock.”

John Woolf, Islington’s housing chief, said: “This year, rents are increasing – in line with the guidance set by government – by the rate of inflation, plus an additional 1 per cent.

“The money that we receive in rent helps ensure that council homes and communities are of the highest standard possible.

“That’s why we’re investing £200m on our council homes – including installing windows, roofs, kitchens, bathrooms, and upgrading fire safety in tall buildings. Around 68 per cent of tenants say that they are happy with the service we provide, up from 66 per cent in 2024.”