On February 10, 2026, Portsmouth City Council’s Cabinet will meet to vote on a proposed 4.8% rent increase for council housing tenants in Portsmouth, Hampshire. The proposal, which would affect roughly 15,600 council-owned homes, is intended to raise additional revenue to pay for essential repairs and safety upgrades.
The extra money is needed to fund a major maintenance plan called Buildings Project 2030. This project aims to fix long-standing problems such as fire safety, damp and mould across the city’s 22 high-rise blocks, including Ladywood House, where major improvements are planned to start on site in late 2026.
The decision follows a regulatory judgment by the Regulator of Social Housing in January 2025 that Portsmouth’s housing services needed significant improvement (a C3 grading). Portsmouth City Council says it needs to invest £110 million into its properties over the coming years to meet required safety standards and complete the planned remediation work.
If the Cabinet vote is approved, the new rent levels would follow the government limit on annual rent increases (CPI + 1%) and be applied from 1 April 2026. Around 15,600 households across the city — including homes in some external estates such as Leigh Park and Wecock Farm — would be affected.
Cllr Darren Sanders, the council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Tackling Homelessness, has argued the increase is necessary to ensure tenants live in safe homes. Other councillors, including Cllr Cal Corkery, have expressed concern about the impact on residents during the current cost-of-living pressures. The council’s budget papers indicate it may also need to draw about £1.2 million from reserves to help balance the Housing Revenue Account this year.
Following the Cabinet meeting on 10 February, the budget proposals are scheduled to be considered by Full Council on 24 February 2026 for final approval.
