The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has published the Rent Standard 2026 for social landlords, which registered providers in England must adhere to from the 1st April 2026. This follows the government’s publication of a revised Policy statement on rents for social housing on the 28th January 2026.
This updated rent standard has been created to reflect the government’s 10-year rent settlement and will apply to all social landlords (private registered providers and local authorities), ensuring they must comply with all the requirements and expectations set out in the standard and the policy statement.
The Rent Standard 2026 sets out the following:
- Social landlords will generally be allowed to increase rents for social rent and affordable rent homes by up to CPI +1% each year.
- Landlords will be able to further increase the weekly rent on social rent homes that are currently below ‘formula rent’. In addition to the CPI +1% increase, rents for these homes can rise by up to £1 per week from 1 April 2027. From 1 April 2028, these rents can increase by up to £2 per week until the formula rent is reached.
Source: GOV.UK
Commenting on the announcement, Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive, RSH, said: “We are pleased to be able to finalise our rent standard based on the direction from the government.
“This will bring more certainty to the sector, so landlords can plan for their investment in the quality of existing homes and more homes for the future.”
Responding to the news, Peter Luck, Managing Director, ROCC, said: “The publication of the Rent Standard 2026 marks a pivotal moment for the social housing sector, providing much-needed certainty on rent policy and enabling providers to plan effectively for the next decade.
“The clarity this brings will help landlords balance sustainable investment with affordability for tenants, reinforcing long-term service outcomes.
“At ROCC, we welcome this stability and are committed to supporting providers as they adapt systems, processes and tenant communications to meet the new requirements.
“By harnessing our housing technology expertise, we can help ensure efficiency, compliance and strong tenant experiences as the sector moves forward.”
For future announcements from the Regulator of Social Housing, you can keep up to date here.
