Why is my rent going up?
Owning your home on a shared ownership basis means that, under the terms of your lease, you are required to pay rent on the part of the home you do not yet own. The initial subsidised rent is set at 2.5% of the sale price, with annual rent share reviews calculated in line with the Rent Review Schedule of your lease. The lease explains whether the uplift is based on the Retail Price Index (RPI) or Consumer Price Index (CPI) and whether an additional percentage, usually 0.5% or 1%, should be added to the Index percentage.
What can I do if I’m worried about affording the new charges?
If you’re worried you won’t be able to afford your new charges, you can contact a member of our Leasehold & Service Charge Team to discuss your payment options. We also have a Tenancy Sustainment Team that can work with you if you’re worried about any financial problems in general you may be facing. We may be able to help you check that you’re receiving all benefits you’re entitled to. Visit our contact us page.
What does the letter mean by eligible or ineligible Service Charge?
An eligible service charge is one that can be covered by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. An ineligible service charge won’t be covered by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit and you will need to pay this yourself even if your rent and service charge is otherwise covered. An example of an ineligible service charge is sewerage, where this is processed by a waste water treatment works owned by Coastline.
Whilst not part of the service charge, Buildings Insurance is also not covered by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit.
What if I think my new charges are wrong?
If you think your charges are wrong or you’d like to chat with us about what the new charges mean for you, you can contact us and a member of our team will help.
Can I check my rent account online?
As well as being able to check your balance online using My Coastline you can also make payments, report repairs and contact Coastline to ensure your message goes straight to the best team to answer your question. Visit the My Coastline site or download the app to register or login.
Why can’t Coastline tell Universal Credit what my new charges are?
The Department of Work and Pensions considers it your responsibility to inform them of any changes that could affect your benefits claim and this includes any changes in the amount of rent that you pay. Currently there is no way for landlords to import new charges to their system.
Why are there so many pages just to tell me the new charges?
When we make any changes to the amount that you are charged, we need to ensure we comply with various legal requirements. These requirements vary depending on the type of tenancy that you have with us, but may include information that we are required to give you about the landlord’s responsibilities and your rights as a shared owner.
We’re also required to provide some information in a specific format and have to post this out to you rather than, for example, this to you by email. We appreciate the amount of information can sometimes feel like too much or be confusing, so please feel free to contact us if we can help explain any aspects for you. In My Coastline, when opening your case, just select the case type of Rent Enquiry or Service Charge Enquiry.