Almo Rent increases

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last updated on: 14/07/2008 16:22

Press Release

Huge Almo rent increases

16,700 Haringey Council tenants were gob-smacked last week when they had letters from the Almo (arm's length management company) Homes for Haringey.

Our rent rises from 7 April will be much higher than the 6.5% that the borough previously told us about.

The 6.5% was bad enough, but now they are caning us on service charges as well:

Concierge Charge +9.5%

Caretaking +27.1%

Grounds Maintenance +59.3%

Light & Power +68.6%

Street Sweeping +123.4%

The five service charges are going up by 26.6% overall.

These massive rises hit tenants on estates, in flats, and especially those in high rise blocks, the hardest. High rise tenants will now be facing increases of more than 10%. My own increase is 11.6%.

· They lied when they promised us that there would be no excess rent increases with the Almo.

· Service charges are supposed to be for the actual service provided - and not some cynical way to jack up the rent.

· These increases mean that the Almo's rent rise consultation was dishonest, misleading, and invalid.

Who will be getting an 11.6% pay increase this year? Certainly not many tenants, and certainly not the staff members who deliver the estate services. Perhaps some of the Almo executives are getting pay increases like that.

Many tenants will be driven into poverty, and the life chances of already poor families will deteriorate further.