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This year’s rent increase is 4.8% which is the consumer price index (CPI) plus 1%.

Debbie explained the following important points to remember.

1. If you have a weekly assured tenancy, your rent will increase from Monday 6 April 2026
2. If you have a monthly agreement, then the new charges will apply from 1 April 2026
3. If you receive housing benefit to help you pay your rent, you must let the Local Authority know of the new amount.
4. If you pay by standing order, please remember to increase your payments ready for the new charge.
5. If you receive Universal Credit you will need to update your housing costs into your journal. NOTE: you cannot do this before the new charge is live.
6. If you pay by direct debit, we will change this for you, and you will receive notification from ALLPAY.
7. If you pay a service charge, this will also change in April. The amount of increase or decrease will depend on how much was spent and collected in 2024/25 and if we expect an increase in the cost of delivering these services this year.
8. You will receive a breakdown of your service charge with your rent increase letter.

She also talked through understanding your rent statement and a helpful change under the heading Service Charge which will now show what charges are eligible to Housing Benefit and what charges you may need to pay.

Over the past two years the Income team have been working with customers to support all people in receipt of housing benefit to get to a position where rent is paid when due and reduce the amount the account is in arrears bit by bit.

Debbie explained 82% of customers have achieved this over time. And she urges anyone to get in touch early if they are struggling with rent payment.

‘It’s always better to reach out sooner rather than later- smaller problems are easier to fix and we don’t want you to end up in rent arrears.

Customers who receive universal credit will get a text reminder to update housing costs into their journal as this can’t be done until the new change is live.

Changes to your rent statements

This year we will only be sending out paper rent statements once a year rather than four time a year.

Increasing costs in royal mail postage over the past five years means this is expensive and we could use this money better to tailor our services and develop an app.

It will also reduce the risk of data protection issues as paper statements can go missing and we can do our bit for the planet and reduce unnecessary waste.

You’ll still:

Be able to request a paper statement from us at any time, call us on 0113 386 1000 or email us at hello@leedsfed.com .

After this statement, we’ll send the next one in August 2026 and then annually from April 2027,

One of the customers on the call was supportive of the approach and stressed the importance of still receiving or being able to request paper copies for some customers.

At the Time to Talk session in February, Beth, our Complaints Co-ordinator, explained how our complaints process works and how we approach compensation. Our compensation policy is due to be renewed, and we are keen to hear your views.

Beth explained that compensation may be paid to put someone back in the position they would have been in if the problem hadn’t happened. One customer shared that they had received £20 for a missed appointment and felt this was fair.

Beth also explained the difference between a service request and a complaint. A service request is when you first contact us about something – for example, to report a repair or anti-social behaviour. A complaint is when something has gone wrong in the way we’ve handled that issue, such as not following the correct repair process.

We also discussed damage to personal belongings, for example if there is a leak. Unfortunately, leaks can happen. If we have responded in line with our policies and procedures, customers would usually need to claim for damage to personal items through their own household contents insurance. That’s why we always recommend having contents insurance in place. You can find more information on our website under Home Insurance (Cost of Living section). Cost of living - Leeds Federated Housing Association

Beth also shared that the Housing Ombudsman has recently published new guidance about compensation and remedies. One area that is not always straightforward is payments for “time and trouble”. If you would like to read the guidance, you can find it here : Compensation guidance

Beth and the Resolution Team will review this guidance further as part of updating our policy. We would welcome any further feedback.

View the presentation from Zuzka Dowing Area Manager for South Team, in the past presentations folder. You can also read more about the Neighbourhood Approach and what's coming up this year here.

We wanted to share a brief update on what was discussed at September's Time to Talk and give you the opportunity to share any thoughts or questions.

What Was Covered

During the session, Michelle Collins, Director of Customer Service, spoke about the key messages in our Annual Report. We also shared a short video from Jason Ridley, Director of Finance and IT, which outlines how we manage rent income responsibly and plan for improvements.

Customers who attended felt that Michelle addressed important concerns, particularly around:

• Improvements to complaints handling
• Progress on telephone system upgrades
• Exploring a new customer app and WhatsApp option
• Our new approach to tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB)

Presentation Summary: Customer Feedback, Performance & Priorities

Overview
Michelle shared how customer feedback shaped Leeds Federated work in 2024/25, the progress we’ve made in 2025/26 so far, and our forward plans into 2026/27.

Listening to Customers
In 2024/25, we strengthened our listening approach:

• 600+ tenants completed the Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey (MEL Research)
• 500+ complaints reviewed, with learning identified in 66%
• Further insights came through the Customer Voice Panel, Neighbourhood Plan surveys, service requests, and direct feedback

Financial Stewardship
In a brief video, Jason Ridley Director of Finance and IT explained how we manage rent income:

• Core services are protected
• Budget is allocated for improvements based on feedback
• Investment is guided by customer experience, long-term value, and fairness

Key Service Improvements (2024/25)

• Repairs: New contract shaped by residents; evening/weekend appointments now available
• Communication: Phone upgrades underway; WhatsApp option live; 24/7 app in development
• ASB: Updated policies; staff training; temporary CCTV and noise monitoring introduced
• Complaints: New 'Putting Things Right' policy; trends tracked via new Learning Portal
• Estate Services: New service standards; regular inspections and reporting in place

Performance and Progress
Housemark benchmarking shows we are performing at or near upper quartile in key areas. However, we are focused on ensuring these results reflect your lived experience.

Work for 2025/26 is already underway, with several initiatives continuing into 2026/27.

Couldn’t Attend? We Still Want to Hear from You

Michelle is still keen to hear your views.
Please email any questions or feedback to:
customer.engagement@lfha.co.uk

We're also looking for ideas on how to improve our customer engagement. If you have suggestions for how we can involve more residents in these conversations, please let us know.

Next Steps: Help Shape Our Priorities

As we look ahead, we’re asking all residents to consider:

• Are we focused on the right things?
• Have we missed anything important?
• What else should we prioritise going forward?

Your input will continue to shape how we plan and deliver services.

• Date of sessions: 6 and 7 May 2025
• Host: Cat Thomas, Brand and Communications Manager

Purpose of the session

We're developing a new website for Leeds Federated and were looking for feedback from customers about the current website and suggestions for features on a new website.

What happened at the session

In the session, Cat acknowledged issues on the current website and spoke about how they'll be resolved when developing a new website. She also shared some of the feedback we'd already received from customers, colleagues and stakeholders, and showed examples of the new website designs. Customers were invited to share more feedback.

• Take a look at the presentation from the session
• Keep up to date with the website project

We'll add details of what happened at previous Time to Talk sessions on this feed, as well as any resources we've shared.

If you'd like to suggest topics for future Time to Talk sessions fill in this short survey to let us know.