Fyne Homes announces rent freeze

Following a meeting to discuss its 2021/22 budget, Fyne Homes' Management Committee has agreed to freeze its rents and service charges for the next financial year.

A spokesperson for the organisation said: "This doesn’t mean other services will be stopped, although there have been changes to the way Fyne Homes currently operates, with the majority of staff working from home.

"This way of working will be continuing for the foreseeable future, but, like everyone else, the management, staff and committee hope to be back to normal as soon as possible."

The business will still run as usual for its customers where possible, taking government guidance into consideration and adhering to restrictions where necessary. Fyne Homes is still committed to investing in its properties and the communities it serves.

The approved budget will allow Fyne Homes to:

• invest £3.7 million in major repairs, reactive and cyclical 
• meet its targets for responding to emergency and routine repairs
• meet its covenant commitments to the organisations lenders
• achieve the Scottish Social Housing Charter indicators, required by the Scottish Housing Regulator

Fyne Homes also said it is committed to increasing, as well as improving, its stock to meet housing demand in Argyll and Bute and will have a new development of 20 units in Tighnabruaich and six units in Cairndow coming off site early in the new year.

In addition to the agreed rent and service charge freezes, Fyne Homes is currently consulting on a change to the way rents and services charges are calculated, and the final results on this will be published in the near future.