Tina
Since you are not a registered provider then you can increase your rates up to the Housing Benefit cap. You might want to consider introducing a Service Charge to help towards this figure which might be more acceptable to the local authority. There should not be any cap on the increase.
Its worth using the Equivalent fair rent figure for your WMC (we do this for all new residents as otherwise we are capped by being a Registered Provider)
You should try to to ensure that your rents are under 80% of the local market rents to be able to show that you are offering affordable housing as a charity
You can find more information on Introducing a Service Charge on the webinar we ran for the Almshouse Association
Happy to answer anything else on this
William Clemmey
Chief Officer Municipal Charities
chiefofficer@municipal-charities.org.uk
07922508913