NHC submits response to rent convergence consultation
This week, the NHC submitted our response to the government’s consultation on how to implement rent convergence as part of the next social housing rent policy.
In our response we said that we believe convergence should be reintroduced from 1st April 2026, permitted at a level of £2 per week and for at least 10 years in duration, aligned with the wider ten year rent policy of CPI+1%.
For landlords in the North of England, convergence at £2 per week for 10 years would increase total rental income by £1.73 billion. This benefit would be split almost evenly between local authority landlords and housing associations (52% vs 48% respectively).
A policy of £2 per week also ensures that the vast majority of the benefit of convergence can be achieved within the next few years. This means that additional income can be used within this parliament to deliver on several of the government’s housing ambitions, including building 1.5 million new homes and delivering new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for social homes.
Patrick Murray, Executive Director of Policy and External Relations, said:
Rent convergence is an important lever that will unlock greater investment in new and existing homes across the North. A £2 per week policy would not only deliver greater financial capacity for landlords in the North—it would do so faster, enabling meaningful reinvestment in this parliament. Crucially, a policy of £2 per week over ten years strikes the right balance between enabling greater investment by landlords and ensuring that rents remain affordable for residents.
You can read our full submission here.
