House rent in South Oxfordshire is to come under the spotlight when a new review is carried out.

It will affect all former council houses, housing association properties and those belonging to other registered social landlords.

The aim is to level out rents where there are major differences.

The district council's policy development panel is looking at a ten-year plan on rent restructuring which will affect all tenants.

One of the main differences will be an upper limit imposed by the Government on social housing rents, year on year, to keep them well below market rents.

That will apply especially in areas of high property prices -- like south Oxfordshire.

The figures will mean the highest rents payable in 2002-2003 will be:

£100 a week for a four-bedroomed house

£95 for three bedrooms

£90 for two bedrooms and

£85 for a bedsit.

When the district council sold its houses to South Oxfordshire Housing Association it guaranteed rents for five years and those promises will be honoured.

But over the full ten years of the programmes rents will be levelled out.

That means former council house rents will increase by larger percentages than housing association properties.

The policy development panel is expected to agree that there will remain differentials in a minority of cases because of the age and condition of some properties.

The meeting on affordable housing is tomorrow and the changes will start on April 1.