The Camden Town District Management Committee met on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, to discuss the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget for 2026/27 and rent setting. The committee voted against proposed increases for most rents and service charges, but supported an increase in garage rents and a general 3% rise in other fees and charges. They also agreed to freeze heating pool charges and expressed general concerns about the council's budget proposals and transparency.

HRA Budget and Rent Setting

The Camden Town District Management Committee (DMC) considered the Director of Finance's report on the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget for 2026/27 and draft recommendations for rent and service charges. The committee voted on several proposed increases, ultimately deciding not to support most of them.

Rent Increases:

• The proposed rent increase of CPI + 1% (4.8%) was not supported.
• Proposed rent convergence increases of CPI + 1% + £1 per week and CPI + 1% + £2 per week were also not supported.

Tenant Service Charge Increases:

• The proposed increase for Caretaking of 5% (62p) was not supported.
• The proposed increase for CCTV of 6.8% (8p) was not supported.
• The proposed increase for Communal Lighting of 2% (6p) was supported.
• The proposed increase for Communal M&E Maintenance of 5.8% (9p) was not supported.
• The proposed increase for Grounds Maintenance of 10% (25p) was not supported.
• The proposed increase for Responsive Housing Patrol of 6.9% (6p) was not supported.

Other Fees and Charges:

• An increase in garage rents for tenants, from £18 to £20 per week, was supported.
• A general increase of 3% for all other fees and charges was supported.

Heating Pool Charges:

• The recommendation to freeze heating pool charges at 2025/26 levels was supported.

The committee also raised several general concerns regarding the HRA budget and spending reports. They felt that the council had not provided accurate data to justify its proposals and that future reports should avoid referencing cumulative rental loss, as it did not provide a full picture. The DMC also expressed a desire for greater transparency to enable informed decision-making by tenants and residents. They noted the potential impact of rent and service charge increases on tenants paying full rent and the possibility of some moving towards seeking benefits. The committee also stated that they should not be asked to provide views on leaseholder service charges. Concerns were raised about the need for improved caretaking supervision to ensure a better and consistent service, and that further work should be undertaken to ensure the Responsive Security Patrol Service was delivering effectively.

Officers agreed to provide the DMC representatives with further information on the Repairs Service budget, the Council's Solar Panel installation programme, the performance monitoring of the Grounds Maintenance Service, how the Council would promote the use of empty garages, a breakdown of costs on page 34 of the report, and details on the heat metering installation programme and how heating charges are calculated.

The meeting also noted the list of registered Tenant and Resident Associations (TRAs) and their representatives, as detailed in Appendix A of the agenda.

The next meeting of the Camden Town District Management Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, 4 March 2026.