The Council Budget Meeting on Feb 26th has a proposal for the Beach Chalets rental from Hove through to Saltdean of a 50% rent rise over 2 years.
There are 5 sets of concrete terraced huts in Hove, Kemp Town, Ovingdean, Rottingdean and Saltdean with different rents. For example, the 50% rise would raise the rent in Hove from £928 pa to £1393 pa phased over to 2 years. In Saltdean, it will be raised from £649 to £947.
There had been no consultation. When tenants were notified in Jan 28th, they asked for a lower raise but met with indifference from both Green and Labour councillors.
As one tenant said:
"Rent rises like this simply favour the well-off who can afford these excessive rent increases. It's true that we already have some well-heeled families who can afford these massive increases, but they only tend to come down to the huts for a day or two during the school holidays. The people that I see in the beach huts every day are the elderly and the disabled tenants and as you know, they won't be able to afford these punitive rents. "
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