Important information about your rent from April 2026
This article explains the upcoming changes to rent and service charges from April 2026 and how this may affect you. We've also included helpful information about benefits, payment methods and support available to you.
From Monday 6th April 2026, your rent and any applicable service charges will be increased by up to 4.8%. You will receive a letter from us by the end of February with your new weekly rent and charges (if applicable) - please read the letter carefully as it explains your new payment amount.
We understand that any increase in costs can be worrying. If you're concerned about paying your rent or managing your finances, we're here to help. You'll find details below on support, benefits, payment methods and useful tools to help you manage your money.
Why are rents increasing?
Like most housing providers, we face rising costs each year. Increasing rents helps us to:
- Invest in new and existing homes and create thriving communities
- Cover the increased costs of delivering repairs and services that helps to maintain your home
How is the rent review decided?
Rent increases are set using a national formula of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in September 2025, plus an additional 1% for all housing associations. We are regulated and governed by the Government, which means we must set rents in line with their Rent Standard.
Service charges
We make sure our service charges are clear, consistent and transparent. Charges are reviewed each year to reflect the true cost of providing services and utilities, and charges for this year (2025/26) are based on actual costs (not estimated costs).
Applying these charges can make sure we can continue investing in our communities and delivering the services you rely on.
To find out more about services charges, click here: www.magentaliving.org.uk/service-charges
Garage rent
If you rent a garage from us, you will have been notified that garage rent will increase by 5% from Monday 6th April 2026.
If you no longer wish to rent your garage, you can end your agreement by:
- Contacting us and giving one week's notice that you wish to end your agreement
- Returning all keys to our Partnership Building office (you will receive a receipt)
- Emptying the garage before returning the keys
- Ensuring any outstanding rent is paid in full (high arrears may result in access being removed)
Support with your rent and finances
We're here to help
Our Income Advice Team can support you with benefits, budgeting and maximising your income. Recently, the team helped over 900 customers claim £2.8 million in benefits and grants they didn't know they were entitled to.
Use our Benefit Calculator to check what financial support you may be able to claim: www.magentaliving.org.uk/welfare-and-benefits
Housing Benefit and Universal Credit
Will Housing Benefit cover the increase?
Yes - if your circumstances haven't changed, Housing Benefit will increase to cover your new rent and eligible service charges. We will inform your local authority of the new charges, so you don't need to do anything.
Will Universal Credit cover the increase?
If your circumstances haven't changed, your Universal Credit (Housing Element) will be updated to cover the increase. However:
- You must report your new rent amount to the Department for Work and Pensions using your Universal Credit Journal - this must be done after Monday 6th April 2026.
- Delays in reporting may lead to incorrect payments or rent arrears
- Report a rent change or make a new claim at: www.gov.uk/sign-in-universal-credit www.gov.uk/universal-credit
Please remember to inform us if you intend to make a Universal Credit claim.
What do I need to do based on how I pay my rent?
Direct Debit
If you pay by Direct Debit, you don't need to do anything - we'll automatically adjust your payment to reflect your new rent. You'll receive confirmation from ALLPAY once the change has been made.
Paying by Direct Debit is the best way to pay your rent. Once set up you can forget about your payments, as we'll automatically receive them from you.
If you'd like to start paying by Direct Debit, call our Income Team on 0808 100 9596 who will be able to set this up for you.
It's important that we share with you how we calculate your Direct Debit payments. Here is a breakdown so you can clearly see how we do this for you:
- Monthly Direct Debit: Your weekly rent payment x 52 weeks divided by 12 (equals the monthly Direct Debit total)
- 4 weekly Direct Debit: Your weekly rent payment x 52 weeks divided by 13 (equals the 4 weekly Direct Debit total)
- Fortnightly Direct Debit: Your weekly rent payment x 52 weeks divided by 26 (equals the fortnight Direct Debit total)
- Weekly Direct Debit: Your weekly rent payment (equals the weekly Direct Debit total)
Standing Order
If you pay by Standing Order, please contact your bank to update your payment amount before Monday 6th April 2026.
PayPoint card
If you pay using a PayPoint card, you'll need to adjust your payment to match your new rent amount from 6th April 2026.
Use our customer portal
Our customer portal, MyMagenta, allows you to:
- Make secure rent payments
- Check your rent balance
- Log and make repair appointments
- And coming soon - set up a Direct Debit!
Not yet registered on our customer portal?
To register, you'll need:
- Your Tenancy and Payment references - these can be found at the top of your rent notification letter which you'll soon receive
- An active email address To register, click here: www.magentaliving.org.uk/mymagenta-info
After registering:
- You'll receive a verification email - click the verification link to activate your account
- Check your junk folder if it doesn't appear straight away
- Once verified, sign in with your email and password
- If you're having trouble setting up your account, please contact us and we'll be happy to help