Update, and a promising one at that! Rang my housing association on a slightly different matter today. Although I am not due to hear from them regarding my grievance until 25th April, I have found that my rent is being dropped from £410.36 to £394.65 a month. Interestingly a bit lower than I thought it would be. I did query one of the charges on my service charge list, so I would guess at the moment I have succeeded there too. We will see what their official response in the next couple of weeks... and then I guess try to cancel the rent assessment panel.

I did try to ask my housing association about what would happen. In typical fashion they are yet to respond, but yes, I think paying the increase would be the best while it's under investigation. I don't mind paying the increase whilst it's being looked at, it's just a case of wanting to make it clear it is under dispute. They will probably take the money anyway even if they don't contact me before they take it out of my bank account. I have sent them a letter with my grievances along with some info I printed off the Internet which I hope will help. The rent assessment panel will make a decision on 10th May, so I have a bit of time. I will finish putting together my written statement for them at the end of this week. If we can reach some sort of agreement before 10th May, then I will obviously withdraw the rent assessment panel (they said an application can be withdrawn on both parties consent).

Hi 45002, I started my tenancy on 14th August 2009 and moved into my flat the day after. It was an assured shorthold tenancy, but I presume it's moved over to a periodic one. Hope this helps.

Update. Firstly, I spoke to the Rent Assessment Committee for my area, they have agreed to look at my rent, obviously providing that I send the appropriate form and rent increase notice prior to the starting date (14th April), so I got that sent off today. Hopefully something will come of it. But.... when I got home tonight, I had a letter from the company who collects the direct debit on my housing association's behalf, stating that the the first payment will be taken on 2nd April. The information sheet my housing association provided with the rent increase notice is conflicting, saying it can start on the first day of the month if it's a monthly tenancy (one of the three requirements of section 13(2) of the Housing Act 1988), but it summarises by saying that the start date must comply with all three of the listed requirements. Does this mean that the start date they put on my notice is invalid?

Yeah, I did think about that. I've only had one rent increase since the start of my tenancy. I've worked out that they increased the whole rent by 5.1% (as inflation was 4.6% in Sept 2010), but the service charge is roughly the same from when I first started. The difference is nominal, around £1.50. Didn't pay much attention last year, I guess because I was expecting an increase and possibly because the maths part might have been the sheet attached to the back of the pack. I think in part this year was that I thought £24 a month increase puts me on the bubble with making sure I get by every month that I was determined to see if anything could be done.

Thanks Feebee_71, even if it's your opinion, it at least confirms my gut instinct. I've had a look on the websites of other housing associations and have printed off some of the ones which explicitly state that service charges do not form part of rent restructuring and some of those that clearly show that service charges have been added to the rent increase separately. I am currently drafting up a letter of appeal (no further point talking to my housing association by telephone - their stance is that they "can do this"). I am thinking of providing these print-offs with the appeal letter, at the very least to show what the common practice seems to be elsewhere. Do you (or anyone else) think this is a good way forward?

Hi, hoping for a bit of help with trying to work out my rent increase. Like a lot of people, I have just received notification of a rent increase from my housing association. I live in a one bedroom flat which is to have its rent increased from £386.77 to £410.36 a month. My current rent includes a service charge of £42.31, and the new proposed rent has a service charge of around £32.50 (yes, down by nearly £10 a month, not a typo). I can see they've increased the whole figure by 6.1%. However in the notification, it says two thing: 1. They are using the government's guideline formula of 5.6% + 0.5% + £2 per week. But I can see that they've come to a different figure. 2. Those who benefit from communal services will have a additional service charge added to the rent. Seeing as they have stated that the service charge is separate (albeit paid with the rent), should the calculation have been worked using my actual rent figure, with the service charge figure added afterwards? Find it a bit unfair they've increased the whole figure by 6.1% when my service charge is clearly down. I have expressed both my confusion at the rent and the fact that I struggle every month with money to them; they are very unhelpful, never ring back when requested, and I just get patronised with "it's an easy sum to work out." Yes, it is an easy sum if they had stated they have just added 6.1% to the whole figure! They are the sort of housing association where nothing is done on time and act like things are not their fault. The disappointing thing is that I know I will get no value for money by paying them an extra £24 a month, when that is a week's food shopping to me (it doesn't interest them that my expenses cuts are now hitting essentials like food). Hope there's enough information to go on from. Any responses will be appreciated!