The Holborn District Management Committee is scheduled to meet on 2 December 2025 to discuss housing rent and budget setting, CCTV upgrades, and short-term let enforcement. The committee will also consider the Holborn DMC budget, local issues, and updates on tenant engagement and action points from previous meetings.

HRA Rent and Budget Setting

The committee will receive a report on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) rent and budget setting for 2026/27. The report sets out how the council intends to deliver on its strategic objectives for housing in the face of an increasingly challenging financial climate .

The report states that HRAs across the country are struggling to set balanced budgets due to changes made to the self-financing model¹ and reliance on income from rents and service charges, with no central government funding.

The report also mentions that the government announced a 10-year rent settlement for social housing from 1 April 2026, in which rents will be permitted to increase by CPI² +1% per annum. The government is also 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 report notes that the main source of income for the HRA is from social rents, and increases in rents are limited to the Rent Standard, which for 2026/27 has been confirmed as CPI + 1%. CPI was 3.8% for September 2025, meaning increases are limited to a maximum of 4.8%. According to the report, the maximum permitted rent increase for 2026/27 based on the current rent standard would generate £8.1m in income for the HRA, costing an average 2-bed property £7.04 extra per week.

The committee will be asked for its views on the council's strategy to consider rent increases from April 2026 at the joint DMC meeting in January.

The report also notes that tenants pay fixed service charges for caretaking, grounds maintenance, CCTV, mobile security, concierge, maintenance of mechanical and electrical equipment in communal areas, and block and estate lighting, if they receive that service. If service charges are raised by underlying inflationary pressures for each service, this would generate approximately £0.95m.

CCTV Upgrade Update

The Head of Facilities Management is scheduled to provide an update on the CCTV upgrade programme across 54 estates. According to the DMC update on CCTV, 37 estates (68%) have been fully upgraded, 6 estates (11%) are currently undergoing works to complete the upgrade, 2 estates (4%) are scheduled to begin works shortly, and 9 estates (17%) have not yet commenced upgrade works.

The report also notes that at the start of the upgrade programme, the council had a total of 615 known CCTV cameras installed across the estates. 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.

The committee will also be informed of data analysis being undertaken to evidence the impact of the CCTV upgrade programme. This includes comparing figures before, during and after the upgrade, with the aim of determining whether there has been a measurable reduction in anti-social behaviour and crime on estates.

Short Term Let Enforcement

The Appeals and Enforcement Manager is scheduled to present a report outlining the regulatory framework and enforcement challenges surrounding short-term lettings and tenancy fraud in Camden. The DMC Short term lets report highlights the impact of the Deregulation Act 2015³ on planning controls, the legal limits on short-term letting, and the council's approach to tackling unlawful subletting of council homes.

The report notes that in Camden, it is estimated that over 6,000 entire properties are being used for short-term holiday lets. Camden ranks fourth highest in London for short-term lets, following Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, and Tower Hamlets.

The report also 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 states 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 committee will also be informed of a multi-disciplinary working group that 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.

Holborn DMC Budget

The Senior Engagement Officer is scheduled to present a report detailing the Holborn DMC budget allocation for 2025/2026, progress on approved bids and any new bids submitted for consideration.

According to the Holborn DMC Budget Report, the minor revenue and major works budget for 2025/2026 is £144,760.00. As of the meeting date, £13,898.00 of bids have been approved in year, leaving a balance of £130,862.00 available for the financial year.

The report notes that there are zero new bids for consideration at the November meeting of 2025/2026.

Local Issues

The committee will consider local issues and receive an update on the Sub-Committee to Scrutinise Application of the Procurement Act 2023 in Camden.

Tenant Engagement Report

The Head of Customer Service and Engagement is scheduled to present the Tenant Engagement Report Quarter 2, 2025/26. The report shares insights and recommendations from the quarterly monitoring of tenant engagement activities and forums delivered supported by Housing and Property Services. Recommendations are to be actioned by the delivery lead for each forum and reported back on quarterly.

The report 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

Tenant Satisfaction Measures Report

The committee will receive the London Borough of Camden: TSM 2024/25 Report. Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) were introduced in 2023/24 as a regulatory requirement for all landlords in England. The report provides results for the period 2024/25.

Action Points Update

The committee will be asked to note the progress of the action points arising from the previous meeting, as detailed in the DMC Consolidated Actions September 2025 document.