Bristol council tenants face new service charges for lifts and heating, raising over £800,000. Critics say the fees bypass strict rent caps and could rise yearly.
Council tenants in Bristol say they are facing what they call "stealth rent hikes" after the city introduced new service charges expected to raise more than £800,000 this year. Residents at blocks like Gilton House in Brislington now pay extra for lift maintenance, digital aerials and communal heating – costs previously folded into standard charges.
Nigel Varley, 77, chairs the tenants association at Gilton House, a retirement block for people aged 60 and over. He described the move as a loophole that "gives them the freedom to increase as and when they like."
The worry, Varley said, is that the council now has "unlimited capacity to increase rent above and beyond the statutory limit of 4.8%. Whereas the increase in rents is controlled, slapping on the additional charges isn't."
Tenants at Gilton House pay for seven services today, but the list the council can draw from runs to 56 – including fire alarm maintenance and electronic fob entry systems. That scope, Varley argued, gives the authority a path around the strict government caps on annual rent increases.
Councillor Barry Parsons, who chairs the housing policy committee, pushed back on the characterisation. He said the new charges are "the opposite of stealth." Being transparent about costs, he said, lets residents "challenge us if we're not fulfilling" the services they are entitled to.
David McNulty, the council's executive director of housing, pointed to a history of "under-recovery against service charges" in Bristol. "So for a period of time, we are looking to make sure that we recover those costs, and that they're fairly apportioned across residents for the services," he said.
The scheme is forecast to raise about £825,000 in the 2026-27 financial year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Exact charges will vary by block based on resident numbers and heating costs. The council said tenants in houses will not subsidise services in flats.
Council rules cap annual rent increases, but service charges fall outside those limits – a distinction Varley called a form of "stealth rent hikes." Elderly residents at Gilton House, built in 1970, have gone multiple winters without proper exterior insulation after the council removed flammable cladding in July 2022. Varley described that process as "a complete and utter shambles" that left tenants with "overwhelming cynicism" toward the authority.
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