A Musselburgh tenant has hit out at a fee hike to pay for factor work at her property.

Liz Shannon expressed “disbelief” at the “enormous rise”, which sees her having to fork out £50.96 per month for the maintenance of her Places for People Scotland home at Eskdale Mews.

She said that factor fees used to be included in her rent, which would now increase by £12.29 per month, in addition to the £50.96 factor’s fee and £9.80 communal lighting, minus a £1.58 adjustment – a total rise of £71.05 per month.

She told the Courier: “Me and other tenants of Places for People Scotland received a letter two weeks ago stating our monthly rent was going up by £70 per month – that is £840 per year.

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“I currently pay £375.75 per month so, from April 1, it will rise to £446.40, which includes the factor’s fee.

“I have been a tenant here for almost 25 years. Any factor fee was always included in the rent – however, not at £50 per month.

“There are 12 properties in this block, which would mean PFP would be raking in £600 per month for a bit of stair cleaning and some garden maintenance.

“Most of the outside is car parking space. I think the rise is excessive.

“To find this extra monthly cost will have a huge impact on what people will have to do without to afford to pay it – cut down on utilities and food.”

A Places for People Scotland spokesperson said: “The rent increase this year from April is 7.7 per cent and is crucial in ensuring we are able to keep essential services running, maintain customers’ homes to the standard they deserve and complete repairs on empty houses so they are available for people in need of somewhere to live.

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“It’s no secret that, like many housing providers across Scotland, we are facing unprecedented costs, driven by the cost of energy and supplies.

“From April, we will also begin separating out service charges from rent payments.

“Since 2013, we have always included service charges in a single charge with rent but we are making this change to help customers better understand services linked to their property and see clearly how costs are apportioned.

“Service charges are made up of the costs incurred to keep shared spaces in our communities clean, safe and tidy, and are apportioned equally to each property receiving that service.

“Service charges have increased rapidly within recent years, as the cost-of-living crisis impacts all areas of our economy.

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“We consult with our customers on our rent proposals and use this feedback within our decision-making process.

“When we review rent and service charges each year, choosing to increase the amount customers pay isn’t an easy decision, but it is necessary if we’re to be able to keep investing in and improving our homes and communities for customers.

“We know these are difficult times for our customers too and we have a dedicated financial inclusion team to support people and work out ways to help if they are experiencing difficulty.”