The Camden Town District Management Committee is scheduled to meet on 26 November 2025 to discuss the Housing Revenue Account budget, environmental services, and the Camden Town District Management Committee budget. The committee will also receive updates on void properties, rent arrears management, CCTV upgrades, short-term let enforcement, and tenant engagement.

HRA Rent and Budget Setting 2026/27

The committee is scheduled to discuss the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget for 2026/27. A report on the HRA Rent and Budget Setting 26/27 sets out how the council intends to deliver its strategic objectives for housing in the face of an increasingly challenging financial climate. The report notes that HRA's across the country are struggling to set balanced budgets because the original self-financing model has been undermined.

The report states that the council:

continues to actively work with central Government as part of the Secure the Future of Council Housing Coalition (more than 100 stock holding Councils coming together to demonstrate the need for funding reform), with a set of clear key asks going beyond rent convergence to effectively reset the self-financing model which is no longer fit for purpose.

The report sets out a number of budget pressures including:

• Inflation
• Repairs
• Capital Investment
• Cost of further regulation
• Disrepair cases
• Gas insourcing team
• Mechanical and electrical maintenance

The report also includes illustrations of proposals for rent increases, and states that under the current rent standard, the council can increase rents up to a maximum of inflation (September CPI¹ of 3.8%) plus 1%, meaning a maximum permitted rent increase of 4.8% for 2026/27. The report notes that rent is eligible under housing benefit and universal credit, and signposts to Camden's website for support for residents.

The report also notes that the government is consulting on 'Rent Convergence', which would allow rents that are currently below 'formula rent' to increase by an additional amount each year, over and above the CPI +1% limit, until they 'converge' with formula rent.

The committee will be asked for its views on the council's strategy to consider rent increases from April 2026, including rent convergence, subject to government announcements.

The committee will also be asked for its views on the council's strategy to consider service charge increases from April 2026.

The report also notes that a new 3-year MTFS Savings Programme will begin in 27/28, and that for 26/27 it is proposed that a £2 increase per week for tenants should be considered for garage rental fees, and that commercial garage rents would increase by the same proportion of 11%.

Update on Camden's Environment Services Contract and Performance

The committee will receive an update on Camden's Environment Services contract with Veolia. The briefing note provides an update on the contract and its performance. The contract commenced on 1 April 2017, for an initial period of 8 years, and was extended for a further 8 years from 1 April 2025. The contract has an 'outcome-based' specification that informs Veolia of the service standards that must be met. The contract outcomes are:

• Managing Camden's local environmental quality to an agreed standard
• Minimising waste and maximising participation in reuse and recycling
• Generating additional surplus from business recycling and waste services
• Increasing local employment opportunities and local economic development

The report notes that the contract has continued to perform well, maintaining contract standards and continuing to deliver services throughout challenging circumstances. It also notes that a new fleet of vehicles was introduced from April 2025, including 14 electric refuse collection vehicles.

The report states that street cleansing standards in Camden are independently measured by Keep Britain Tidy three times a year, and that the results show that standards were good for litter up to 2021/22 but have dropped since, resulting in failures against the contract target of 6%.

The report notes that Camden's Reduction and Recycling Plan (RRP) 2023-25 set a target of a 35% recycling rate by 2025, and that the latest rate was 29.1% in 2023/24.

The report also notes a number of challenges, including lower recycling performance for estates, the lack of a one-size-fits-all approach to recycling services on estates, and operational challenges for crews and caretakers.

The report highlights improvements to recycling infrastructure that have been made on a number of estates, and notes that Veolia is continuing to work closely with Camden to identify suitable locations for infrastructure improvements to boost recycling and minimise contamination.

The report also notes that upcoming 'Simpler Recycling' legislation requires that by March 2026 all households must have access to both dry recycling and food waste collection services.

Camden Town DMC Budget

The committee will receive a report detailing the Camden Town DMC budget allocation for 2025/2026, progress on approved bids, and any new bids submitted for consideration. The minor revenue and major works budget for 2025/2026 is £158,490.00. There is one new bid for consideration at the meeting:

• Ossulston TRA - Installing 13x H36 Gerda system/lockable box cover to replace the current fire key entry system - £12,000

Void Property Update October 2025

The committee will receive an update on void properties as at 22 October 2025. The report notes that a lot of work is being done to finalise a live data dashboard, and that in time extracts from this dashboard will replace the reports currently being produced. As of 22 October 2025, there were 83 active voids in Camden Town. The report provides a breakdown of the number of voids by number of bedrooms, and the reason for the property being held. 11 properties are being held for conversion at 5-7 Belsize Grove, with the aim to convert rooms as they become available into self-contained flats.

Rent Arrears Management

The committee will receive a report outlining the current arrears position, actions taken to date, and proposals to further reduce arrears and strengthen income recovery. The report notes that the collection of rent and recovery of arrears remain a top priority, and that performance continues to improve, with consistent reductions in arrears over the past year and monthly targets being met. As of October 2025, the collection rate is 100.68%, exceeding the 99% target. The report notes that a key challenge is the rising number of tenants on Universal Credit², driven by the Department for Work and Pensions' managed migration.

The report sets out a number of future proposals to reduce arrears, including:

• A new procedure focused on early intervention and consistent engagement
• Smart campaigns
• Universal Credit support
• Rentsense target
• Universal Credit verification automation
• Continued in-house court process management to reduce delays
• Reviewing direct debit flexibility

CCTV Upgrade Update

The committee will receive an update on the CCTV upgrade programme. The report notes that 37 estates (68%) have been fully upgraded, 6 estates (11%) are currently undergoing works to complete upgrade, 2 estates (4%) are scheduled to begin works shortly, and 9 estates (17%) have not yet commenced upgrade works. To date, the programme has successfully installed 536 cameras, representing 87% of the original total. It is estimated a total of 900 cameras will be installed by project completion.

Short Term Let (STL) Enforcement

The committee will receive a report outlining the regulatory framework and enforcement challenges surrounding short-term lettings and tenancy fraud in Camden. The report highlights the impact of the Deregulation Act 2015 on planning controls, the legal limits on short-term letting, and the council's approach to tackling unlawful subletting of council homes. The report estimates that over 6,000 entire properties are being used for short-term holiday lets in Camden. The report notes that short-term letting has become an increasingly attractive option for landlords due to its greater flexibility, fewer regulatory constraints, and potential for higher returns compared to traditional long-term rentals. The report also notes that the growth of the short term let market is directly obstructing Camden's ability to tackle the housing crisis and provide homes for the people in Camden.

The report states that the Deregulation Act 2015 introduced a significant change to planning rules in Greater London, allowing residential properties to be used for short-term letting for up to 90 nights per calendar year without requiring planning permission. The report notes that of the approx. 6000 properties estimated to be in short term let use in 2025, 52% exceeded the 90-night allowance to date.

The report also notes that a multi-disciplinary working group has recently been established, comprising officers from Planning Enforcement, the Legal Team, the Leaseholder Team, and Neighbourhood Housing Managers, to coordinate efforts to tackle short-term letting in Council-owned properties.

Tenant Engagement Report Quarter 2, 2025/26

The committee will receive a report sharing insights and recommendations from the quarterly monitoring of tenant engagement activities and forums delivered supported by Housing and Property Services. The report gathers insights from a range of tenant engagement groups and activities facilitated by Housing and Property Services, and includes:

• Evaluation of resident feedback from a range of engagement activities
• Applications to the Special Projects Grant
• Applications to the District Management Committee Fund
• Stories of Impact

The report notes that resident participation in community activities and groups reveals a diverse range of motivations, with the most common motivations for attending engagement events being to voice opinions, ideas, or concerns, to resolve an outstanding housing or repairs enquiry, and to connect with others in the community.

The report also notes that TRA AGMs and Neighbourhood Action Days have provided the greatest increase in residents' opportunity to influence decisions which affect them, as well as serving to best foster feelings of being connected to others within the community.

The report includes a story of impact regarding the development and distribution of building safety information packs, and notes that in response to feedback that the cover design was generic and did not reflect their specific building, the Fire and Building Safety team launched a High-Rise Photo Competition to involve residents in the design process.

Other items

The agenda also includes the registration of tenant and resident associations, apologies, announcements, declarations of interest, notification of any items of business that the chair decides to take as urgent, approval of the minutes of the meeting held on 10th September 2025, and an update on action points arising from the previous meeting.