Each year local authorities must set rent levels for tenants and leaseholders, councils can only increase the rents in line with government policy but have the choice to apply a lower increase, to freeze rents or reduce rents
On average in Bournemouth the weekly rent will increase by £5.25 to £114.67.
On average in Poole the weekly rent will increase by £5.21 to £113.84.
Rent on garages, bases and parking plots will also increase by 4.8 per cent in Bournemouth and Poole Old Town, the rest of Poole will see these increase by 11 per cent.
Council tenants will see weekly rent for garages in Bournemouth and Poole Old Town by £0.69, with garages in the rest of Poole increasing by £1.01.
Non council tenants will see weekly rent for garages in Poole Old Town increase by £0.96, in Bournemouth they will increase by £0.81 and garages in the rest of Poole will increase by £1.49.
The total income that the council is expecting to get from these increases in the 2026/27 financial year is £61,190.
The 2026/27 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget shows that £43million will be spent on major works across housing stock in Bournemouth and Poole, with a further £25million in planned maintenance works. The works will include improving kitchens and bathrooms, providing better roofs and windows, implementing stronger building safety measures, and introducing more reliable central components to make peoples homes safe and comfortable.
Over the next four years £2.3million will be spent in improving the energy efficiency of council owned homes and £2.8million each year after to drive down carbon emissions.
The investment in improving council homes in Bournemouth and Poole will allow the local authority to continue providing safe, warm and good quality homes.
There are no council owned houses in Christchurch as these were transferred to a housing association several years ago.
The proposal was discussed as part of BCP Full Council budget setting meeting on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
There was no debate on the proposal and members agreed the plans by consensus.