Torus is committed to keeping rents affordable while maintaining our services.
We set your rent in line with the government’s rent standard. This standard ensures that all housing associations set their rent in the same way.
This means we used the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from September 2025 and added 1%. The Consumer Price Index, or CPI, measures how prices for everyday goods and services change for UK households. In September 2025, the CPI was 3.8%.
Because of this, your rent will go up by 4.8% from April 2026. Service charges can change depending on your tenancy agreement or the terms of your lease. Service charges can be fixed or variable.
In February, we will send you a booklet with your new rent and service charges from April 2026.
It is important you keep your booklet in a safe place.
If you receive benefits, you will need your booklet in April. You will need your new rent and or service charge amount to update your Universal Credit journal or advise your local authority for Housing Benefit claims after your rent changes in April 2026.
Key dates for your rent and service charge change 2026
We will send your rent and service charge change booklets by post from the middle of February 2026.
Your rent and/or service charges will change:
- Monthly charges from 1 April 2026
- Weekly charges from 6 April 2026.
Affordable lets
If your tenancy started on an affordable let property (paying affordable rent), rent to buy and shared owners between 1 January and 31 March 2026, your rent will not change until April 2026. Your first rent increase will be in April 2027. We will tell you about this when we send you your rent change booklet in February 2027.
Your service charge may change, and your booklet will tell you about those changes.
Paying your rent
If you get Universal Credit to cover your housing costs, you will need to update your update your Universal Credit with your new rent or service charges amount in April.
Keep your rent and/or service charge booklet in a safe place. You will need the information in your booklet in April.
Wait until you get a ‘to-do’ in April called 'Confirm your housing costs'. Use the information in your rent and service charge booklet to complete your ‘to-do’ before the due date to avoid problems with your payments.
You must only use the 'Confirm your housing costs' to-do to report these changes. Do not contact Universal Credit to report housing cost changes any other way.
If you don't let Universal Credit know your new rent and service charge by the due date, you may need to pay any shortfall and rent arrears. Torus cannot update Universal Credit about your rent or service charge changes, so you must let them know to avoid being under- or overpaid.
Your rent payment is automatically adjusted if you already get Housing Benefit.
If your tenancy is from 1 December 2025 and you have made a claim or are receiving Housing Benefit, you will need to contact your local authority to let them know your new rent from April 2026.
Please keep your rent booklet safe. Your local authority may ask to see your rent change booklet.
If you pay your rent by Direct Debit, you do not need to do anything. We will amend your Direct Debit payment for you.
Most customers pay rent by Direct Debit because it’s straightforward and secure. It means you won’t fall behind in your rent payments. You can arrange a Direct Debit weekly, fortnightly, four weekly or by calendar month on any date. Set up your Direct Debit using your online account.
If you pay by standing order, you will need to contact your bank to change your standing order to your new rent payment.
From April 2026, please make sure you update your rent and/or service charge, if you pay by:
- Debit or credit card
- PayPoint and the Post Office
- Automated telephone payments
- Secure online payment.
You can find the amount in your booklet.
I'm worried about paying my rent
Income Service Team
If you are worried about paying your rent after receiving your rent change booklet, our Income Service Team will work with you to find a solution that suits your circumstances.
If you live in a supported housing scheme, you can also speak to your Scheme Manager.
Torus Foundation
Torus Foundation can help you make your money go further with support from local and national organisations such as Citizens Advice. This includes:
- energy and fuel advice
- debt advice
- benefit experts.
Money Wellness Service
Torus Foundation works with the Money Wellness Service who provide free:
- benefits advice
- debt advice.
You can call them on 0800 652 2790 or visit their website.
Frequently asked questions about rent and service charge changes
Like most organisations, Torus faces increased costs each year. We need to increase your rent and service charges because our costs have risen with inflation. These costs include labour and materials for repairing and maintaining your home.
By increasing rents and service charges, we can cover these costs and keep the services we offer our customers. If we didn’t raise your rent or service charges, we wouldn’t have enough money to maintain your homes and provide our current services. We might not be able to spend as much on making your homes more energy-efficient, or we may need to reduce the scale of our improvement programme for your homes.
Torus follows government guidance to set the rents for our homes. Social housing landlords, like Torus, must set their rents in line with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Rent Standard. This standard ensures that all housing associations set their rent in the same way.
The maximum we can increase rent this year (2026 to 2027) is the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from September 2025 plus 1%.
The September 2025 CPI was 3.8%. This means your rent increase is calculated as 3.8% plus 1%. This year, your rent will increase by 4.8% from April 2026.
If you pay a fixed service charge, your charge may increase by the September 2025 Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1%.
The September 2025 CPI was 3.8%. This means your service increase will be calculated as 3.8%, plus 1%. If your service charges go up, the increase will be no more than 4.8% from April 2026.
Sometimes your charge will change, either up or down, depending on the type of service and the contract we may have with the organisation supplying those services.
If you pay a variable service charge, your service charge increase is calculated differently.
You can find out more information about variable service charges and the types of communal services we charge for on the service charge webpage.
Torus is a not-for-profit organisation. We use our rent and service charge income to maintain your home, provide essential services and build much-needed new homes in the area.
Some of your rent pays for salaries and overheads. We test our salaries against the local market to pay a fair wage that reflects the responsibilities of employees in their day-to-day roles.
We also use your rent to provide support services to the most vulnerable in our communities, including those facing homelessness, neglect or are victims of domestic abuse.
Service charges cover the cost of supplying communal or shared services outside your home. You can find out more about service charges on the service charge webpage.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Retail Price Index (RPI) measure inflation. Inflation tells us how fast the price of goods and services rises over a time period.
The Consumer Price Index measures the change in the average cost of a ‘shopping basket’ of goods and services over time.
The Retail Price Index measures inflation using the same ‘shopping basket’ of goods and services but includes mortgage interest payments.
We have provided communal or shared services, but not fully charged Liverpool customers. These communal services are not covered by the rent our Liverpool tenants pay.
We have also provided Liverpool leaseholders with services that their service charges did not cover.
The cost of providing these services is considerable. We have been using part of the income we get from all our customers to cover these costs. We are unable to continue covering the cost of providing these services and need to recover those costs.
Many housing associations charge for communal or shared services, but Torus hasn’t charged most Liverpool tenants.
In 2025, we consulted with Liverpool tenants and leaseholders about these variable service charges. You can find more about the consultation process and the timeline on the service charges webpage.
We will start charging Liverpool Torus tenants for communal services from April 2026.
Liverpool leaseholders already pay service charges, but they will see new charges, such as block cleaning, will now be included in their service charges. If their lease allows this, we will include these new charges from April 2026.
You can find out more about service charges on the service charge webpage.
Updating Universal Credit with your new housing costs
If you get Universal Credit to cover your housing costs, you will need to update your Universal Credit account with your new rent or service charges amount in April.
Keep your rent and/or service charge booklet in a safe place. You will need your booklet in April.
Torus is not able to update Universal Credit about the changes to your rent, so you must let them know to avoid being under- or overpaid.
If you don’t act, you could lose out on the benefits you are entitled to or end up in rent arrears.
When should I update Universal Credit with my new rent and service charges?
- If you pay monthly, your rent will change on 1 April 2026.
- If you pay weekly, your rent will change on 6 April 2026.
You will need to update your Universal Credit account after your rent and service charge change but before the end of the 'Monthly Assessment Period'.
- Wait until you get a ‘to-do’ in April called 'Confirm your housing costs'.
- Use the information in your rent and service charge booklet to complete your ‘to-do’ before the due date to avoid problems with your payments.
Universal Credit will only backdate a change for one month. If you don’t update your Universal Credit journal with your new housing costs, your assessment may not cover the full amount of your housing costs. This could lead to you having to pay any shortfalls and rent arrears to your account.
How do I update my Universal Credit Journal with my new rent and service charge costs?
Log into your online Universal Credit journal by visiting www.universal-credit.service.gov.uk/sign-in
Once logged in, find your "To-do List".
You should have received a task to "Report changes to your housing costs" - click that option.
When completing the "Confirm your housing costs" task, you will be asked:
- Has your rent changed? – Select Yes
- Date of change
If you pay monthly, your rent will change on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.
If you pay weekly, your rent will change on Monday, 6 April 2026.
- Changes to rent
You will be asked if you are still charged weekly or monthly - this will not have changed, so select Yes
You will be asked to confirm your new rent. Use the booklet we sent you in February to confirm your new rent.
- Changes to your service charges
You will be asked if you are still charged weekly or monthly - this will not have changed, so select Yes
You will be asked to confirm your new service charge (if you pay it). Use the booklet we sent you in February to confirm your new service charge.
Once you have answered the questions, you will see a summary of your answers. If you have made any mistakes, you can change your answers.
If you are happy with the information you have provided, press confirm to complete the To-Do.