COUNCIL tenants in Basildon owe just under £2.5 million in rent, with council bosses saying a main cause is the "current economic climate."

Documents from Basildon Council show it is owed £2,456,582 in rent from its tenants, yet court hearings to get the money back have been delayed.

The council's housing rents team had worked to reduce the debt to £2,145,545 for 2023/24, but the number actually increased to £2,456,582, council documents also reveal.

A senior opposition councillor insists that the Labour-led council is "not doing a good enough job" to collect rent and worries that this could influence efforts to build more council housing and better maintain its current properties.

Council documents show that 715 tenants are in debt ranging from £500 to £1,000 and that in October 2024, there were a total of 9930 tenants, and 3,748 were in arrears. The documents state: "The main reason for the increase in arrears is the impact on residents' ability to pay in the current economic climate. There have also been delays getting court hearing dates, although this is improving."

It comes after leader Gavin Callaghan announced a rise in council tax, as well as increases to fees and charges at leisure centres and council-owned car parks. At the time, he said it was "not something I like to do" and insisted the council was "hindered by what the last government left us with" and that "local government finance is broken."

Cllr Kevin Blake, deputy leader of the Tories, said: "It sounds like we are not doing a good enough job at getting that rent.

"We shouldn't be allowing the tenants to get so much in debt and it should be addressed earlier.

"We should be looking at it when they are a little bit behind with their rent and offering them help and support.

"These tenants have got to realise this is something they have to pay and we should be looking at this more seriously. We should be sympathetically talking to the tenants and asking them to come in and talk about it.

"If they don't want to do that we should come down on them harder. If they are getting services for free it needs to be looked at in a sympathetic way. We need to help those who help themselves. This debt will have an enormous impact on the council housing and the budget for this. We need this money to provide goods and services, it puts more pressure on building council houses and maintaining the housing stock."

A Basildon Council spokesman said: "Rent arrears for council properties currently stand at just under £2.5million, reflecting the total accumulated debt from tenants across all years. Arrears can arise for a variety of reasons, including job loss, illness, low wages, unexpected expenses, and changes to benefits. Some tenants may also face challenges with budgeting or prioritising rent payments. 

"The council has mechanisms in place to support tenants facing financial difficulties, including early intervention measures to proactively assist those struggling. Flexible and affordable payment arrangements are also available, along with access to additional support, benefits, and financial guidance from both the council and partner organisations."